Dowies Bakeshop food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Liverpool
Dowies Bakeshop 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 rating dates from 4 June 2025, but the business has been re-inspected and a new rating is awaiting publication, so the score shown here is about to change.
Address: 249 Utting Avenue East, Liverpool, L11 1DB
How it compares in Liverpool
A 1 is rare: only 88 of 3,383 rated places in Liverpool score this low, about one in 38. By contrast 67% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 2,273 | 67% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 530 | 16% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 331 | 10% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 123 | 4% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 88 | 3% | ← Dowies Bakeshop | |
| 0 out of 5 | 38 | 1% |
A further 1,143 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Generally satisfactory
- 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 Dowies Bakeshop 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 Dowies Bakeshop, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aldi Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 February 2020 |
| Aspens Services Ltd at St John Bosco Arts College School/college/university | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 May 2025 |
| Boots Retailers - other | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 29 March 2017 |
| Best One Retailers - other | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 February 2020 |
| Bargain Booze Retailers - other | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 13 October 2025 |
| AJ Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 March 2019 |
| B&M Store Retailers - other | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 December 2017 |
| B&M Retailers - other | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 31 October 2017 |
Questions about Dowies Bakeshop
What is Dowies Bakeshop's food hygiene rating?
Dowies Bakeshop has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Liverpool Council on 4 June 2025.
Is Dowies Bakeshop 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 Dowies Bakeshop last inspected?
Dowies Bakeshop was last inspected on 4 June 2025, 13 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Liverpool Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Dowies Bakeshop?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", 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 Dowies Bakeshop compare to other places in Liverpool?
67% of the 3,383 rated food businesses in Liverpool hold the top rating of 5, while Dowies Bakeshop holds a 1. 88 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Liverpool Council inspects Dowies Bakeshop 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 Dowies Bakeshop 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 Liverpool, 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: Liverpool
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Liverpool inspects and rates 4,526 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Liverpool →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.liverpool.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 →