Shorts Butchers food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Blaenau Gwent
Shorts Butchers 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 18 February 2025, 16 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: 2b Commercial Road, Llanhilleth, NP13 2JA
How it compares in Blaenau Gwent
A 1 is rare: only 19 of 594 rated places in Blaenau Gwent score this low, about one in 31. By contrast 50% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 299 | 50% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 185 | 31% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 73 | 12% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 17 | 3% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 19 | 3% | ← Shorts Butchers | |
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 70 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Very good
- 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 Shorts Butchers 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 Shorts Butchers, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boyals Convenience Store & Post office Retailers - other | at this address | 5 - Very good | 22 August 2017 |
| GoGoWok Takeaway/sandwich shop | 86 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 March 2026 |
| St Illtyd Primary School School/college/university | 160 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 December 2025 |
| Buns & Crusts Ltd Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 August 2025 |
| Llanhilleth & District Bowls Club Ltd Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 June 2026 |
| Cylch Meithrin Gwdihw Caring Premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 March 2026 |
| Family Fun and Play Caring Premises | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 July 2023 |
| Cosmos also T/A The Chip Station Other catering premises | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 February 2025 |
Questions about Shorts Butchers
What is Shorts Butchers's food hygiene rating?
Shorts Butchers has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Blaenau Gwent Council on 18 February 2025.
Is Shorts Butchers 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 Shorts Butchers last inspected?
Shorts Butchers was last inspected on 18 February 2025, 16 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Blaenau Gwent Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Shorts Butchers?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", 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 Shorts Butchers compare to other places in Blaenau Gwent?
50% of the 594 rated food businesses in Blaenau Gwent hold the top rating of 5, while Shorts Butchers holds a 1. 19 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Blaenau Gwent Council inspects Shorts Butchers 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 Shorts Butchers 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 Blaenau Gwent, 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: Blaenau Gwent
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Shorts Butchers is one of 117 rated food businesses in Abertillery. See every hygiene rating in Abertillery →
Blaenau Gwent inspects and rates 664 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Blaenau Gwent →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.blaenau-gwent.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 →