Spar food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Cardiff
Spar holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The shop met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 13 September 2025, 10 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: 516 Cowbridge Road East, Canton, Cardiff, CF5 1BL
How it compares in Cardiff
In Cardiff, 70% of rated places manage a 5, so Spar sits behind roughly 2,674 nearby businesses. 9% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 2,114 | 70% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 560 | 18% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 258 | 9% | ← Spar | |
| 2 out of 5 | 45 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 49 | 2% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 8 | <1% |
A further 401 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 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 Spar 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 Spar, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloc Coffee LTD Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 427 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 October 2025 |
| Absorb Other catering premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 February 2025 |
| Against The Grain Coffee House LTD Other catering premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 20 June 2025 |
| A & K Rees Family Butchers Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 August 2025 |
| Apollo Pizza Kebab Burger Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 October 2025 |
| Bay Leaf Wales Limited Other catering premises | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 3 April 2025 |
| Acorns Llandaff Caring Premises | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 February 2026 |
| Atlas Stores Retailers - other | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 February 2022 |
Questions about Spar
What is Spar's food hygiene rating?
Spar has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Cardiff Council on 13 September 2025.
Is Spar safe to eat at?
A 3 means the shop met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was Spar last inspected?
Spar was last inspected on 13 September 2025, 10 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Cardiff Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Spar?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "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 Spar compare to other places in Cardiff?
70% of the 3,034 rated food businesses in Cardiff hold the top rating of 5, while Spar holds a 3. 258 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Cardiff Council inspects Spar 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 Spar 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
Spar is one of 131 rated food businesses in Canton. See every hygiene rating in Canton →
Cardiff inspects and rates 3,435 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Cardiff →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.srs.wales/en/Environmental-Health/Food-Hygiene-Standards/Food.aspx
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 →