Liverpool City Council said the branch was subject to an ongoing investigation after it received a zero food hygiene rating
Despite reopening, Liverpool City Council told the ECHO Starbucks in Liverpool ONE remains “subject to an ongoing investigation”
A Liverpool city centre branch of Starbucks remains “under investigation” after being slapped with a zero rating for food hygiene. The US coffee chain has a number of sites dotted around Liverpool city centre.
The Starbucks branch in Thomas Steers Way, which is part of the wider Liverpool One complex and close to Chavasse Park, was inspected by Liverpool Council’s environmental health inspectors on Wednesday, November 5, 2025. Following the inspection the branch was awarded a zero rating for food hygiene.
At the time, Starbucks told the ECHO that the rating is “far from the standards we expect.”
The company said the store was temporarily closed after the inspection to resolve the issues identified. The coffee shop reopened to customers on Monday, March 9, “with comfier seating, more lighting, and feeling fresh and alive”.
Following the initial zero hygiene rating, the ECHO requested the investigation report in full from the Liverpool City Council through a Freedom of Information request. However, the council confirmed that this wasn’t possible as the premises are “subject to an ongoing investigation”.
The Starbucks site in Liverpool One(Image: Liverpool Echo)
The ECHO approached Starbucks this week for a comment on the ongoing council investigation. A Starbucks spokesperson confirmed to the ECHO the team had requested a revisit from the environmental health officers, before adding: “We’re excited to have reopened the Liverpool One coffeehouse after a major refurbishment and look forward to welcoming customers back into the new and improved space.”
Food hygiene ratings are awarded by local health inspection teams to businesses that sell food, with five being the highest rating and zero the lowest.
According to the website of the Food Standards Agency, where ratings are displayed, there were numerous areas of concern highlighted by the inspectors which led to the zero rating at this particular Starbucks branch.
The website indicates that the inspection found issues with the hygienic handling of food including preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage.
The inspection team said urgent improvement was necessary in this area. There were also concerns raised about the cleanliness and condition of the facilities and building, including whether the building had an appropriate layout, ventilation, hand washing facilities and pest control in order to enable good food hygiene.
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The team also demanded urgent improvement in this area. Finally, there were issues found in the management of food safety at the building.
This revolves around the systems or checks in place at the business to ensure that food sold or served is safe to eat and evidence that staff know about food safety and that the food safety officer has confidence that standards will be maintained in future.
Once again, the inspectors found the need for urgent improvement in this area following their inspection of the Starbucks branch. When the ECHO approached Starbucks for a response at the time, a spokesperson said: “Providing a clean and welcoming environment for our customers is our greatest priority and this rating is far from the standards we expect.
Liverpool Council’s environmental health service conducts food hygiene inspections to ensure food served to the public is safe to eat.
Officers can turn up unannounced and can take food samples and photographs to support any investigation. Unless there is an immediate risk to health, businesses that receive bad ratings are given time to make changes so that things improve. They can also ask to be re-inspected or appeal the verdict handed down by officials.
What is an FOI?
A Freedom of Information (FOI) request is a formal application made to a public authority – such as a government department, local council, or public body – asking for access to recorded information they hold.
Under laws like the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in the UK, authorities are generally required to respond within a set timeframe and either provide the information or explain why it is exempt.
FOI requests promote transparency and accountability by allowing citizens, journalists, and organizations to scrutinise how public institutions operate and make decisions.