General Store food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Hyndburn
General Store 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: 2 Spencer Street, Accrington, BB5 6SY
How it compares in Hyndburn
A 2 is rare: only 16 of 716 rated places in Hyndburn score this low, about one in 45. By contrast 63% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 448 | 63% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 188 | 26% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 56 | 8% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 16 | 2% | ← General Store | |
| 1 out of 5 | 6 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 53 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 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 General Store 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 General Store, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burnley Road Subscription Bowling Green Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 429 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 March 2026 |
| Chinese Chippy Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 31 October 2024 |
| Barmy Sarnies Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 18 February 2025 |
| A.I Kitchen Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 June 2026 |
| Cafe Ri-An Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 27 August 2024 |
| Abbey Friar Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 27 January 2026 |
| Canine Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 January 2025 |
| Down Tools Cafe @ Accrington & Rossendale College Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 September 2024 |
Questions about General Store
What is General Store's food hygiene rating?
General Store has a food hygiene rating of 2 out of 5 (some improvement necessary), given by Hyndburn Council on 8 July 2025.
Is General Store 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 General Store last inspected?
General Store was last inspected on 8 July 2025, 12 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Hyndburn Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at General Store?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", 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 General Store compare to other places in Hyndburn?
63% of the 716 rated food businesses in Hyndburn hold the top rating of 5, while General Store holds a 2. 16 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Hyndburn Council inspects General Store 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 General Store 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 Hyndburn, 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: Hyndburn
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
General Store is one of 367 rated food businesses in Accrington. See every hygiene rating in Accrington →
Hyndburn inspects and rates 769 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Hyndburn →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.hyndburnbc.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 →