Friends Forever food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Bath and North East Somerset
Friends Forever holds a 2, which means some improvement is necessary. The inspector found problems at the shop that the business is required to fix.
The rating: 2 - Some improvement necessary
The rating dates from 24 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: 17 St James's Parade, Bath, BA1 1UL
How it compares in Bath and North East Somerset
A 2 is rare: only 29 of 1,731 rated places in Bath and North East Somerset score this low, about one in 60. By contrast 73% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,259 | 73% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 266 | 15% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 163 | 9% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 29 | 2% | ← Friends Forever | |
| 1 out of 5 | 13 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 110 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 Improvement necessary
- How well they manage food safety Generally satisfactory
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 Friends Forever the inspector recorded concerns over the condition of the premises. 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 Friends Forever, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burger King Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 133 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 June 2025 |
| Boots UK Ltd Retailers - other | 185 yards away | 5 - Very good | 2 July 2026 |
| Cafe Au Lait Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 214 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 February 2026 |
| Blended Kitchen Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 215 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 January 2026 |
| Bubble CiTea Ltd Takeaway/sandwich shop | 226 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 June 2026 |
| Apex City Of Bath Hotel Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 237 yards away | 5 - Very good | 6 March 2025 |
| Bakervee Other catering premises | 248 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 February 2024 |
| Bath Masonic Hall Association Other catering premises | 261 yards away | 5 - Very good | 6 November 2024 |
Questions about Friends Forever
What is Friends Forever's food hygiene rating?
Friends Forever has a food hygiene rating of 2 out of 5 (some improvement necessary), given by Bath and North East Somerset Council on 24 February 2025.
Is Friends Forever safe to eat at?
A 2 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 Friends Forever last inspected?
Friends Forever was last inspected on 24 February 2025, 16 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Bath and North East Somerset Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Friends Forever?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "improvement necessary", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Friends Forever compare to other places in Bath and North East Somerset?
73% of the 1,731 rated food businesses in Bath and North East Somerset hold the top rating of 5, while Friends Forever holds a 2. 29 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Bath and North East Somerset Council inspects Friends Forever 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 Friends Forever 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 2 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 Bath and North East 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: Bath and North East Somerset
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Friends Forever is one of 1,061 rated food businesses in Bath. See every hygiene rating in Bath →
Bath and North East Somerset inspects and rates 1,841 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Bath and North East Somerset →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/services/environment/food-safety
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 →