Westcombe Stores food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Somerset
Westcombe Stores 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
The rating dates from 6 June 2025, 13 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: 20 Westcombe, Templecombe, BA8 0LH
How it compares in Somerset
A 1 is rare: only 31 of 5,514 rated places in Somerset score this low, about one in 178. By contrast 88% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 4,825 | 88% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 539 | 10% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 93 | 2% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 26 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 31 | 1% | ← Westcombe Stores | |
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 557 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 Westcombe Stores 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 Westcombe Stores, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Templecombe Recreation and Sports Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 176 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 July 2021 |
| Bunters of Templecombe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 4 - Good | 14 January 2025 |
| Ridge & Cottage Ltd Manufacturers/packers | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 16 May 2024 |
| Co-Operative Group Food Limited Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 13 May 2026 |
| Abbas and Templecombe Church School School/college/university | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 January 2026 |
| Sticky Fingers PreSchool Caring Premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 January 2026 |
| Gather & Gather CH & CO Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 July 2025 |
| Gartell Light Railway (Cafe) Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 28 July 2025 |
Questions about Westcombe Stores
What is Westcombe Stores's food hygiene rating?
Westcombe Stores has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Somerset Council on 6 June 2025.
Is Westcombe Stores 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 Westcombe Stores last inspected?
Westcombe Stores was last inspected on 6 June 2025, 13 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Somerset Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Westcombe Stores?
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 Westcombe Stores compare to other places in Somerset?
88% of the 5,514 rated food businesses in Somerset hold the top rating of 5, while Westcombe Stores holds a 1. 31 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Somerset Council inspects Westcombe Stores 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 Westcombe Stores 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 Somerset, 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: Somerset
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Westcombe Stores is one of 19 rated food businesses in Templecombe. See every hygiene rating in Templecombe →
Somerset inspects and rates 6,071 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Somerset →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.somerset.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 →