The Village Butchery food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Ards and North Down
The Village Butchery holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the shop met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
The rating dates from 23 September 2025, 9 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: 36 Main Street, Ballywalter, Ballywalter, BT22 2PQ
How it compares in Ards and North Down
That puts The Village Butchery among the 949 places in Ards and North Down holding top marks, 82% of everywhere the council rates. A 5 is the norm here rather than the exception, so it is the rating to expect, not to be impressed by.
| 5 out of 5 | 949 | 82% | ← The Village Butchery | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 154 | 13% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 43 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 8 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 1 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 118 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 Good
- How well they manage food safety Good
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 The Village Butchery 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 The Village Butchery, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glynn's Fish & Chips Takeaway/sandwich shop | at this address | 5 - Very good | 30 June 2025 |
| The Sandpiper / Nonnas Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 26 January 2023 |
| Cafe Ardmore and Guesthouse Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 4 - Good | 3 November 2025 |
| Spence's Spar Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | at this address | 4 - Good | 4 November 2025 |
| Ballywalter Youth & Comm. Cooperative Other catering premises | at this address | Exempt | |
| PA McKeever Ltd Retailers - other | at this address | Exempt | |
| Mauds Ballywalter Takeaway/sandwich shop | 1 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 April 2024 |
| Aroma Takeaway/sandwich shop | 71 yards away | 4 - Good | 5 June 2025 |
Questions about The Village Butchery
What is The Village Butchery's food hygiene rating?
The Village Butchery has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Ards and North Down Council on 23 September 2025.
Is The Village Butchery safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 5 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this shop to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Village Butchery last inspected?
The Village Butchery was last inspected on 23 September 2025, 9 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Ards and North Down Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Village Butchery?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Village Butchery compare to other places in Ards and North Down?
82% of the 1,155 rated food businesses in Ards and North Down hold the top rating of 5, and The Village Butchery is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Ards and North Down Council inspects The Village Butchery 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 The Village Butchery 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 →
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Village Butchery is one of 884 rated food businesses in Down. See every hygiene rating in Down →
Ards and North Down inspects and rates 1,273 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Ards and North Down →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.ardsandnorthdown.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 →