Pound Palace food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Sandwell
Pound Palace 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 2 July 2026, 2 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.
Only 4% of rated food businesses in Sandwell score 0 to 2 like this, so a low rating here is the exception, not the norm. See all Sandwell ratings →
Address: 18 High Street, Smethwick, B66 1DX
How this rating has changed
Pound Palace has improved: it was rated 0 before its inspection on 2 July 2026, and now holds a 1.
| Inspected | Rating | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2 July 2026 | 0 1 | Improved |
The FSA publishes only a business's current rating. This history is our own record of what it has scored since we began watching.
How it compares in Sandwell
A 1 is rare: only 60 of 2,320 rated places in Sandwell score this low, about one in 39. 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 | 1,558 | 67% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 508 | 22% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 156 | 7% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 28 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 60 | 3% | ← Pound Palace | |
| 0 out of 5 | 10 | <1% |
A further 408 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 Generally satisfactory
- 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 Pound Palace the inspector recorded concerns over 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 Pound Palace, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aroma Takeaway/sandwich shop | 69 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 September 2025 |
| Aarons Kitchen Ltd Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 376 yards away | 5 - Very good | 13 March 2025 |
| Arjun Catering Ltd Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 376 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 July 2026 |
| A Malik Food Store Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 November 2024 |
| Amritsari Tarka Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 March 2026 |
| Al-Halal Fresh Meat and Poultry (inside Anatolia Food Centre) Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 20 September 2025 |
| Anatolia Food Centre Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 June 2025 |
| 999 Pizza Toppings (Birmingham) Ltd Distributors/Transporters | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 January 2026 |
Questions about Pound Palace
What is Pound Palace's food hygiene rating?
Pound Palace has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Sandwell Council on 2 July 2026.
Is Pound Palace 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 Pound Palace last inspected?
Pound Palace was last inspected on 2 July 2026, 2 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Sandwell Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Pound Palace?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", 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 Pound Palace compare to other places in Sandwell?
67% of the 2,320 rated food businesses in Sandwell hold the top rating of 5, while Pound Palace holds a 1. 60 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Sandwell Council inspects Pound Palace 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 Pound Palace 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 Sandwell, 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: Sandwell
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Pound Palace is one of 482 rated food businesses in Smethwick. See every hygiene rating in Smethwick →
Sandwell inspects and rates 2,728 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Sandwell →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.sandwell.gov.uk/foodratings
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 →