The Popular food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Belfast City
The Popular holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the shop are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 19 January 2026, 5 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.
Address: 121 Bearnagh Drive, BT11 8HT
How it compares in Belfast City
In Belfast City, 73% of rated places manage a 5, so The Popular sits behind roughly 2,117 nearby businesses. 17% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 2,117 | 73% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 502 | 17% | ← The Popular | |
| 3 out of 5 | 230 | 8% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 46 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 24 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 253 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 Good
- How well they manage food safety Good
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 The Popular none of the three raised a concern, the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, so a clean sweep is what produces a high score.
Food hygiene ratings nearby
The closest food businesses to The Popular, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adventures Day Nursery Caring Premises | 179 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 January 2026 |
| All Saints College - Glen Road Campus School/college/university | 179 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 October 2025 |
| Andersonstown Social Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 March 2017 |
| 2k Coffee & Deli Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 November 2025 |
| Beechhall Day Centre Caring Premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 June 2025 |
| Andersonstown Meats Manufacturers/packers | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 19 August 2025 |
| B's Mini Market Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 August 2023 |
| Banjaxed Fried Chicken Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 October 2024 |
Questions about The Popular
What is The Popular's food hygiene rating?
The Popular has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Belfast City Council on 19 January 2026.
Is The Popular safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this shop to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Popular last inspected?
The Popular was last inspected on 19 January 2026, 5 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Belfast City Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Popular?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Popular compare to other places in Belfast City?
73% of the 2,919 rated food businesses in Belfast City hold the top rating of 5, while The Popular holds a 4. 502 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Belfast City Council inspects The Popular 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 The Popular and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Belfast City inspects and rates 3,172 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Belfast City →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/buildingcontrol-environment/foodsafety/consumers-foodhygienescheme.aspx
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 →