About FODSPOT

Who’s behind FODSPOT

Hi, I’m Andrew. I’m a Forester, so I know how much the Forest of Dean has to offer, and how easily a good local business can go unnoticed online. I started FODSPOT in July 2026 to change that. It brings the area’s shops, services, jobs and events together in one place, so you can find, choose and support the businesses on your doorstep.

How FODSPOT works

FODSPOT is free to use. You can browse local businesses, search jobs and see what’s on across the Forest of Dean and surrounding areas, without creating an account.

Listing a business is free, and so is adding a local event. Businesses that want to show more can upgrade to Premium, which adds opening hours, a list of your services and visitor figures for your listing. Advertising a vacancy is free until 30 September 2026. Your personal information is never sold.

The verified badge means the owner has claimed the listing and we have approved that claim. It is not a paid feature and it does not say anything about the quality of the business, only that the details come from the people who run it. Any listing can earn it, on the free tier or on Premium, by finding your business and claiming it. Most listings here were added by us from public sources, so if yours is not claimed yet, that is why.

Where the information comes from

Most listings here were written by us from publicly available information, so they have not been confirmed by the business itself. We do not show a date claiming otherwise. Once an owner claims a listing, they maintain it, and the verified badge is how you can tell which of the two you are reading. If something is wrong, out of date or closed, use the report link on the listing and we will look at it.

Premium changes how a listing looks, never where it appears. Ordering in the directory comes from ratings and from whichever sort you have chosen, and paying does not move a business up it. Nobody can buy a position on FODSPOT.

Reviews

You need an account to leave a review, you can leave one review per business, and you cannot review a business you own. Reviews appear straight away rather than waiting for approval, because holding them back would let us quietly shape what you see. An owner can reply in public, and can remove their own reply, but cannot remove or edit a review written about them.

We hide a review only when it breaks the terms, for example when it is abusive, fake or not about the business. That decision is ours rather than the owner's, and paying for Premium does not change it. If you think a review breaks the terms, tell us through the contact form and a person will read it.

Get in touch

Have a question, a suggestion, or want your business added, updated, claimed or removed? Send a message through the contact form and I’ll get back to you by email.