Betty's Bistro food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Reading
Betty's Bistro holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the restaurant and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 6 January 2026, 6 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: 487 Oxford Road, Reading, RG30 1HF
How it compares in Reading
A 1 is rare: only 41 of 1,362 rated places in Reading score this low, about one in 33. By contrast 65% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 881 | 65% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 248 | 18% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 148 | 11% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 39 | 3% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 41 | 3% | ← Betty's Bistro | |
| 0 out of 5 | 5 | <1% |
A further 155 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 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 Betty's Bistro the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled, 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 Betty's Bistro, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Rifles Reading Other catering premises | 333 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 March 2025 |
| Beesknees Day Nursery Caring Premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 16 October 2024 |
| A&S News & Off Licence Retailers - other | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 3 December 2017 |
| Abbeyfield Wey Valley Society Maitland House Caring Premises | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 29 January 2025 |
| Beacher Hall Nursing Home Caring Premises | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 March 2026 |
| 3B's Cafe Other catering premises | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 March 2026 |
| Cafe 12 Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 18 September 2025 |
| Bow Guest House Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 16 November 2017 |
Questions about Betty's Bistro
What is Betty's Bistro's food hygiene rating?
Betty's Bistro has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Reading Council on 6 January 2026.
Is Betty's Bistro safe to eat at?
A 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The restaurant 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 Betty's Bistro last inspected?
Betty's Bistro was last inspected on 6 January 2026, 6 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Reading Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Betty's Bistro?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", 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 Betty's Bistro compare to other places in Reading?
65% of the 1,362 rated food businesses in Reading hold the top rating of 5, while Betty's Bistro holds a 1. 41 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Reading Council inspects Betty's Bistro 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 Betty's Bistro and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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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 Reading, 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: Reading
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Reading inspects and rates 1,517 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Reading →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.reading.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 →