Southern Down Care Home food hygiene rating
Caring Premises · West Oxfordshire
Southern Down Care Home holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the care premises are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 5 March 2026, 4 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: Southern Down Nursing, Worcester Road, Chipping Norton, OX7 5YF
How it compares in West Oxfordshire
In West Oxfordshire, 94% of rated places manage a 5, so Southern Down Care Home sits behind roughly 957 nearby businesses. 4% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 957 | 94% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 42 | 4% | ← Southern Down Care Home | |
| 3 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 3 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 1 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 110 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 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 Southern Down Care Home none of the three raised a concern, the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, so a clean sweep is what produces a high score.
Food hygiene ratings nearby
The closest food businesses to Southern Down Care Home, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ross & Ross Food Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 29 January 2025 |
| Salt Pig Curing Company Manufacturers/packers | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 9 March 2026 |
| Alice's Mobile Catering Mobile caterer | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 December 2025 |
| Love Pizza And La Vera Pizza Mobile caterer | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 28 January 2025 |
| Polar Snow Bear Manufacturers/packers | 0.7 miles away | Awaiting inspection | |
| BASTE Ltd - Prep Kitchen Retailers - other | 0.7 miles away | Exempt | |
| Our Artisan Bakery Retailers - other | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 April 2025 |
| Salford Hill Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 April 2025 |
Questions about Southern Down Care Home
What is Southern Down Care Home's food hygiene rating?
Southern Down Care Home has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by West Oxfordshire Council on 5 March 2026.
Is Southern Down Care Home safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this care premises to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was Southern Down Care Home last inspected?
Southern Down Care Home was last inspected on 5 March 2026, 4 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by West Oxfordshire Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Southern Down Care Home?
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 "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Southern Down Care Home compare to other places in West Oxfordshire?
94% of the 1,013 rated food businesses in West Oxfordshire hold the top rating of 5, while Southern Down Care Home holds a 4. 42 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
West Oxfordshire Council inspects Southern Down Care Home 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 Southern Down Care Home and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Southern Down Care Home is one of 197 rated food businesses in Chipping Norton. See every hygiene rating in Chipping Norton →
West Oxfordshire inspects and rates 1,123 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in West Oxfordshire →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.westoxon.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 →