SMS Village Stores food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Bury
SMS Village Stores 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 8 July 2025, 12 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: 79 Church Street, Ainsworth, BL2 5RD
How it compares in Bury
A 2 is rare: only 30 of 1,110 rated places in Bury score this low, about one in 37. By contrast 75% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 828 | 75% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 135 | 12% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 92 | 8% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 30 | 3% | ← SMS Village Stores | |
| 1 out of 5 | 22 | 2% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 3 | <1% |
A further 126 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 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 SMS Village Stores the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled. 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 SMS Village Stores, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casalingo Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 344 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 March 2025 |
| Arthur Lane Nurseries Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 March 2025 |
| Baci Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 1.1 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 May 2025 |
| Chantlers County Primary School/college/university | 1.1 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 January 2025 |
| Bury Cancer Support Centre Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 1.2 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 March 2026 |
| Bright Meadow Care Home Caring Premises | 1.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 February 2025 |
| Ainsworth Road Post Office Retailers - other | 1.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 16 October 2023 |
| Breightmet Mini Market Ltd Retailers - other | 1.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 7 June 2024 |
Questions about SMS Village Stores
What is SMS Village Stores's food hygiene rating?
SMS Village Stores has a food hygiene rating of 2 out of 5 (some improvement necessary), given by Bury Council on 8 July 2025.
Is SMS Village Stores 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 SMS Village Stores last inspected?
SMS Village Stores was last inspected on 8 July 2025, 12 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Bury Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at SMS Village Stores?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", 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 SMS Village Stores compare to other places in Bury?
75% of the 1,110 rated food businesses in Bury hold the top rating of 5, while SMS Village Stores holds a 2. 30 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Bury Council inspects SMS Village Stores 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 SMS Village Stores 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 Bury, 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: Bury
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Bury inspects and rates 1,236 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Bury →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.bury.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 →