Salt Cellar food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Dorset
Salt Cellar holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the restaurant met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
The rating dates from 26 February 2026, 4 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: 1 - 4 Gold Hill Parade Gold Hill, Shaftesbury, SP7 8LY
How it compares in Dorset
That puts Salt Cellar among the 3,813 places in Dorset holding top marks, 96% 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 | 3,813 | 96% | ← Salt Cellar | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 138 | 3% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 33 | 1% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 5 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 3 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 1,126 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Very good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Very good
- How well they manage food safety Very 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 Salt Cellar 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 Salt Cellar, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shaftesbury Town Hall Other catering premises | at this address | 5 - Very good | 27 November 2019 |
| Costa Coffee Takeaway/sandwich shop | 26 yards away | 5 - Very good | 31 July 2024 |
| Ecco-Gelato Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 26 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 October 2025 |
| The Mitre Pub/bar/nightclub | 40 yards away | 4 - Good | 20 November 2024 |
| Coffee #1 Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 49 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 February 2026 |
| Reeve The Baker Retailers - other | 49 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 October 2025 |
| Edinburgh Woollen Mill Ltd Retailers - other | 49 yards away | Exempt | |
| King Alfreds Kitchen Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 50 yards away | 5 - Very good | 13 January 2025 |
Questions about Salt Cellar
What is Salt Cellar's food hygiene rating?
Salt Cellar has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Dorset Council on 26 February 2026.
Is Salt Cellar 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 restaurant to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was Salt Cellar last inspected?
Salt Cellar was last inspected on 26 February 2026, 4 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Dorset Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Salt Cellar?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "very good", and confidence in the management of food safety "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Salt Cellar compare to other places in Dorset?
96% of the 3,992 rated food businesses in Dorset hold the top rating of 5, and Salt Cellar is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Dorset Council inspects Salt Cellar 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 Salt Cellar and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Salt Cellar is one of 99 rated food businesses in Shaftesbury. See every hygiene rating in Shaftesbury →
Dorset inspects and rates 5,118 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Dorset →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.dorsetcouncil.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 →