Premier St James food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Portsmouth
Premier St James holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the shop and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
This is a fresh result: Premier St James was inspected on 18 May 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.
Address: 74 - 78 St James's Road, Southsea, PO5 4HZ
How it compares in Portsmouth
A 1 is rare: only 53 of 1,534 rated places in Portsmouth score this low, about one in 29. By contrast 64% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 980 | 64% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 308 | 20% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 124 | 8% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 67 | 4% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 53 | 3% | ← Premier St James | |
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 267 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Improvement necessary
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Good
- 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 Premier St James the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled 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 Premier St James, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brewhouse & Kitchen Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 416 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 November 2025 |
| Ark Ayrton Primary Academy School/college/university | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 June 2026 |
| Arty Potz Other catering premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 19 March 2019 |
| B & M Portsmouth Arundel St (875) Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 July 2025 |
| Bumblebee Nursery Caring Premises | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 7 February 2017 |
| Burger King Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 September 2025 |
| Bobbys Lounge Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 March 2025 |
| Breakfast / After School Club Other catering premises | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 18 October 2018 |
Questions about Premier St James
What is Premier St James's food hygiene rating?
Premier St James has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Portsmouth Council on 18 May 2026.
Is Premier St James safe to eat at?
A 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The shop 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 Premier St James last inspected?
Premier St James was last inspected on 18 May 2026, a month ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Portsmouth Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Premier St James?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", 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 Premier St James compare to other places in Portsmouth?
64% of the 1,534 rated food businesses in Portsmouth hold the top rating of 5, while Premier St James holds a 1. 53 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Portsmouth Council inspects Premier St James 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 Premier St James 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 Portsmouth, 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: Portsmouth
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Premier St James is one of 541 rated food businesses in Southsea. See every hygiene rating in Southsea →
Portsmouth inspects and rates 1,801 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Portsmouth →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.portsmouth.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 →