Hillside Newsagents food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Sefton
Hillside Newsagents holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the shop 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 30 July 2025, 11 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: 89 Sandon Road, Birkdale, PR8 4QD
How it compares in Sefton
In Sefton, 84% of rated places manage a 5, so Hillside Newsagents sits behind roughly 1,796 nearby businesses. 10% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,796 | 84% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 216 | 10% | ← Hillside Newsagents | |
| 3 out of 5 | 83 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 18 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 15 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 265 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Very good
- 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 Hillside Newsagents 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 Hillside Newsagents, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 600 Degrees Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 41 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 July 2024 |
| 121 in the Community Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 31 October 2025 |
| Cake Corner Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 January 2026 |
| Carlton Tennis Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 October 2017 |
| Aldi Stores Ltd Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 29 October 2025 |
| Birkdale High School School/college/university | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 June 2026 |
| Birkdale Village Care Home Caring Premises | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 18 June 2025 |
| Birkdale Labour Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 July 2019 |
Questions about Hillside Newsagents
What is Hillside Newsagents's food hygiene rating?
Hillside Newsagents has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Sefton Council on 30 July 2025.
Is Hillside Newsagents 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 shop to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was Hillside Newsagents last inspected?
Hillside Newsagents was last inspected on 30 July 2025, 11 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Sefton Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Hillside Newsagents?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "very good", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Hillside Newsagents compare to other places in Sefton?
84% of the 2,128 rated food businesses in Sefton hold the top rating of 5, while Hillside Newsagents holds a 4. 216 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Sefton Council inspects Hillside Newsagents 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 Hillside Newsagents and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Hillside Newsagents is one of 119 rated food businesses in Birkdale. See every hygiene rating in Birkdale →
Sefton inspects and rates 2,393 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Sefton →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.sefton.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 →