Tesco food hygiene rating
Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets · Lincoln City
Tesco holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the supermarket and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
This is a fresh result: Tesco was inspected on 15 July 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.
Only 1% of rated food businesses in Lincoln City score 0 to 2 like this, so a low rating here is the exception, not the norm. See all Lincoln City ratings →
Address: 186 Wragby Road, Lincoln, LN2 4QQ
How this rating has changed
Tesco has gone backwards: it held a 5 before its inspection on 15 July 2026, and now holds a 1. A rating of 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix.
| Inspected | Rating | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 15 July 2026 | 5 5 | Held |
| 7 August 2024 | 5 5 | Held |
| 15 July 2026 | 5 1 | Worse |
The FSA publishes only a business's current rating. This history is our own record of what it has scored since we began watching.
How it compares in Lincoln City
A 1 is rare: only 7 of 1,019 rated places in Lincoln City score this low, about one in 146. By contrast 93% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 951 | 93% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 42 | 4% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 12 | 1% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 2 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 7 | 1% | ← Tesco | |
| 0 out of 5 | 5 | <1% |
A further 99 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Very good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Improvement necessary
- How well they manage food safety Major improvement necessary
An inspection scores three things: how food is handled, the physical condition of the premises, and how much the inspector trusts management to keep standards up. At Tesco the inspector recorded concerns over the condition of the premises and confidence in management. Because the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, that is what holds the score down.
Food hygiene ratings nearby
The closest food businesses to Tesco, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aldi Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 191 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 March 2026 |
| Asia Garden Takeaway/sandwich shop | 191 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 September 2025 |
| Black Peppermint Other catering premises | 203 yards away | 5 - Very good | 6 May 2025 |
| B & M Retail Retailers - other | 289 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 March 2026 |
| Bounce Central Lincoln Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 July 2026 |
| Berties- Peopleplus Other catering premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 May 2025 |
| Bunkers Hill Care Home Caring Premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 June 2026 |
| Asda Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 May 2026 |
Questions about Tesco
What is Tesco's food hygiene rating?
Tesco has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Lincoln City Council on 15 July 2026.
Is Tesco safe to eat at?
A 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The supermarket is not shut down, a rating is not a closure order, but standards were found to be below what the law expects at the time of inspection.
When was Tesco last inspected?
Tesco was last inspected on 15 July 2026, a month ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Lincoln City Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Tesco?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "improvement necessary", and confidence in the management of food safety "major improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Tesco compare to other places in Lincoln City?
93% of the 1,019 rated food businesses in Lincoln City hold the top rating of 5, while Tesco holds a 1. 7 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Lincoln City Council inspects Tesco and sets the rating; the Food Standards Agency publishes it. Neither the business nor this site can change a rating, a business that disagrees can appeal to its council, and can request a re-inspection once it has fixed the problems.
Tell me when this changes
The Food Standards Agency publishes only a business's rating today, not what it scored before, and not when it moves. We check every UK rating each night. Watch Tesco and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
Free, for three businesses, forever. No password, we send you a link. How rating alerts work →
Is this your business?
A rating of 1 is public, and most customers look. Only 18% of people say they would order from a business rated 2 or below, against 94% from one rated 4. Delivery platforms may decline to list you.
We cannot change this rating, and nor can you. It was set by an environmental health officer at Lincoln City, and it stands until they inspect again. What you can do:
- Fix what the inspector found, then ask the council for a re-inspection. Most charge between £120 and £316, and will not re-visit within three months of the original inspection.
- If you believe the rating is simply wrong, you have 21 days from being notified to appeal to the council. That is 21 calendar days, not working days.
- You may submit a right to reply at any time. It is published alongside the rating, here, and on the FSA's own site.
What a low rating means → · How re-inspections and appeals work →
Your council: Lincoln City
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Lincoln City inspects and rates 1,118 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Lincoln City →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.lincoln.gov.uk
Rating from the Food Standards Agency under the Open Government Licence. Ratings reflect standards found at the time of inspection and can change. If you think a rating is wrong, the official record is held by the FSA and the local authority; corrections there flow through here. How ratings work →