5

The Southern Co-operative food hygiene rating

Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets · East Devon

The Southern Co-operative holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the supermarket met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 20 November 2025, 7 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: 190B Exeter Road, Exmouth, EX8 3EA

How it compares in East Devon

That puts The Southern Co-operative among the 1,093 places in East Devon holding top marks, 84% of everywhere the council rates. A 5 is the norm here rather than the exception, so it is the rating to expect, not to be impressed by.

Every rated food business in East Devon
5 out of 5 1,093 84% ← The Southern Co-operative
4 out of 5 125 10%
3 out of 5 58 4%
2 out of 5 14 1%
1 out of 5 13 1%
0 out of 5 0 0%

A further 248 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.

What the inspector found

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 Southern Co-operative 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 Southern Co-operative, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Exmouth Care Ltd Caring Premises 79 yards away 5 - Very good 20 November 2025
Halsdown Nursing Home Caring Premises 263 yards away 5 - Very good 11 November 2025
Hulham Road Stores Retailers - other 430 yards away 5 - Very good 2 March 2023
Exmouth Community College - Kitchen 4 School/college/university 0.4 miles away 5 - Very good 21 January 2025
Exmouth Community College - Post 16 School/college/university 0.4 miles away 5 - Very good 23 June 2025
Exmouth Community College - Telfer School/college/university 0.4 miles away 5 - Very good 21 January 2025
LED Pub/bar/nightclub 0.4 miles away 5 - Very good 6 August 2025
Exmouth Town Football Club Pub/bar/nightclub 0.4 miles away 5 - Very good 28 November 2025

Questions about The Southern Co-operative

What is The Southern Co-operative's food hygiene rating?

The Southern Co-operative has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by East Devon Council on 20 November 2025.

Is The Southern Co-operative safe to eat at?

The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 5 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this supermarket to be very good, the top end of the scale.

When was The Southern Co-operative last inspected?

The Southern Co-operative was last inspected on 20 November 2025, 7 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by East Devon Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at The Southern Co-operative?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", 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 Southern Co-operative compare to other places in East Devon?

84% of the 1,303 rated food businesses in East Devon hold the top rating of 5, and The Southern Co-operative is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

East Devon Council inspects The Southern Co-operative 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 Southern Co-operative 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 →

Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

The Southern Co-operative is one of 299 rated food businesses in Exmouth. See every hygiene rating in Exmouth

East Devon inspects and rates 1,551 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in East Devon

The official record is held by the council: http://www.eastdevon.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 →