Highwoods General Store food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Doncaster
Highwoods General Store holds a 0, the lowest food hygiene rating possible, meaning urgent improvement is necessary. The inspector found serious problems at the shop requiring immediate action.
The rating: 0 - Urgent improvement necessary
The rating dates from 10 June 2026, 2 months ago. Councils typically re-inspect higher-risk businesses every six months to two years, with well-run, low-risk places visited least often, so this is a normal gap.
Only 5% of rated food businesses in Doncaster score 0 to 2 like this, so a low rating here is the exception, not the norm. See all Doncaster ratings →
Address: 40 Highwoods Road, Mexborough, Doncaster, S64 9EP
How this rating has changed
Highwoods General Store has gone backwards: it held a 3 before its inspection on 10 June 2026, and now holds a 0. A rating of 0 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix.
| Inspected | Rating | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 10 June 2026 | 3 0 | 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 Doncaster
A 0 is rare: only 10 of 2,566 rated places in Doncaster score this low, about one in 257. By contrast 73% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,877 | 73% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 373 | 15% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 185 | 7% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 50 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 71 | 3% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 10 | <1% | ← Highwoods General Store |
A further 235 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Major improvement necessary
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Major improvement necessary
- How well they manage food safety Urgent 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 Highwoods General Store the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled, 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 Highwoods General Store, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cygnet Aspen Clinic Caring Premises | 127 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 July 2025 |
| Blue Bell Inn Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 29 July 2026 |
| Cresswell Arms Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 28 January 2020 |
| Aramark @ RNN College Dearne Valley School/college/university | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 24 February 2026 |
| Double Trouble Delights Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 November 2025 |
| Avago Karting Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 July 2023 |
| Dearne Valley Day Nursery Caring Premises | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 March 2025 |
| Empresses Building Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 January 2024 |
Questions about Highwoods General Store
What is Highwoods General Store's food hygiene rating?
Highwoods General Store has a food hygiene rating of 0 out of 5 (urgent improvement necessary), given by Doncaster Council on 10 June 2026.
Is Highwoods General Store safe to eat at?
A 0 means urgent improvement is necessary: the inspector found serious problems. The shop may still be trading, because a rating is not a closure order, but this is the lowest score the scheme gives.
When was Highwoods General Store last inspected?
Highwoods General Store was last inspected on 10 June 2026, 2 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Doncaster Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Highwoods General Store?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "major improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "major improvement necessary", and confidence in the management of food safety "urgent improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Highwoods General Store compare to other places in Doncaster?
73% of the 2,566 rated food businesses in Doncaster hold the top rating of 5, while Highwoods General Store holds a 0. 10 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Doncaster Council inspects Highwoods General Store 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 Highwoods General Store 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 0 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 Doncaster, 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: Doncaster
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Highwoods General Store is one of 127 rated food businesses in Mexborough. See every hygiene rating in Mexborough →
Doncaster inspects and rates 2,801 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Doncaster →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.doncaster.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 →