The Morrisons supermarket on Caernarvon Road in Cheltenham has been awarded a one-star hygiene rating after a Food Standards Agency (FSA) inspection earlier this year, signalling that major improvements are necessary to meet food safety standards.
The inspection, conducted in January 2026, revealed significant shortcomings in how the store manages hygienic food handling practices. These include issues with food preparation, cooking, reheating, cooling, and storage. Additionally, the FSA report identified deficiencies in the store’s food safety management system, raising concerns about the safety of food sold or served and staff awareness of food safety protocols.
Despite these concerns, the store was rated as ‘generally satisfactory’ concerning the cleanliness and condition of its building and facilities.
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These findings came to light after a customer raised concerns with the Environmental Health Officer regarding the condition of frozen goods during a visit to the store. The shopper reported that frozen foods, including chips, were soft and appeared defrosted, with freezer temperatures noticeably warm. Upon raising these issues with a member of staff, the customer described the response as dismissive.
UK food safety regulations require frozen foods to be stored at -18°C or below to ensure safety. However, the FSA found freezer temperatures in the Cheltenham store as high as -0.4°C and frozen cod fillets stored at -1.1°C. Due to these temperature breaches, inspectors concluded that items in the freezer posed a risk to human health.
As a result, the store was compelled to dispose of 431 items, including 48 packets of Morrisons Savers Chicken Nuggets and 33 bags of Young’s Flipper Dippers.
In response to the inspection, a Morrisons spokesperson stated that immediate steps were taken to address and resolve the issues identified. “We take food hygiene issues extremely seriously, and this report reflects historic issues. As soon as we became aware of the rating, we took immediate action. We are working towards a re-inspection,” the spokesperson said.
The supermarket’s management is now focused on making necessary improvements to ensure food safety and regain customer confidence following the critical inspection results.