Cardamom Lounge climbs from damning one-star hygiene rating to five

18 August 2026

Cardamom Lounge in Hamble-le-Rice has been awarded a five-star food hygiene rating, recovering from a damning one-star score handed down only three months earlier.

Food safety officers from Eastleigh Borough Council inspected the Indian restaurant on Coronation Parade on 14 July and rated it very good overall. Hygienic food handling was judged very good and the other two categories good. The previous inspection, on 9 April, produced a rating of one, meaning major improvement was necessary.

That April visit found major improvement necessary in the management of food safety. This covers the systems and checks used to ensure food is safe, evidence that staff understand food safety rules, and the officer’s confidence that standards will be maintained. Hygienic food handling was rated as improvement necessary, while the cleanliness and condition of the premises were judged generally satisfactory.

A spokesman for the restaurant told the Daily Echo the low score occurred because a covering worker could not locate the required files and records. The usual manager and floor staff were away at the time.

The business said the problems had been fixed and it was waiting for a re-inspection.

Staff have since completed food hygiene and allergy training. The same spokesman said the local authority was satisfied the restaurant now met the criteria for a five rating.

The five-star result is now the official score published by the Food Standards Agency. Ratings reflect the standards found on the day of the inspection. Businesses can request a re-inspection once they believe improvements are complete, which is the route Cardamom Lounge followed.

Full details of the recent inspection are available on the Food Standards Agency website. The recovery restores the highest possible mark at the premises after a period in which public confidence in its food safety management had been formally recorded as low.