ESS Sergeants' Mess food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Vale of Glamorgan
ESS Sergeants' Mess 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
This is a fresh result: ESS Sergeants' Mess was inspected on 20 August 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.
90% of rated food businesses in Vale of Glamorgan score 4 or 5, so this is a normal, good result for the area. See all Vale of Glamorgan ratings →
Address: Barracks Sergeants Mess West Camp Raf St Athan Cowbridge Road, St Athan, CF62 4WA
⚠️ The lowest-rated places near ESS Sergeants' Mess
These food businesses close to this one were rated 0 to 2 at their last inspection, the lowest ratings. Tap any to see why.
How this rating has changed
ESS Sergeants' Mess was re-inspected on 20 August 2026 and held its rating of 5.
| Inspected | Rating | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 20 August 2026 | 5 5 | Held |
The FSA publishes only a business's current rating. This history is our own record of what it has scored since we began watching.
How it compares in Vale of Glamorgan
That puts ESS Sergeants' Mess among the 830 places in Vale of Glamorgan holding top marks, 72% 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 | 830 | 72% | ← ESS Sergeants' Mess | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 203 | 18% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 102 | 9% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 12 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 172 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 Good
- How well they manage food safety 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 ESS Sergeants' Mess 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 ESS Sergeants' Mess, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| ESS Junior Ranks' Mess - West Camp Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 29 July 2025 |
| ESS Costcutter - West Camp Retailers - other | 1 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 July 2025 |
| Golf Club Catering Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 284 yards away | 4 - Good | 4 February 2026 |
| Little Orchard Cafe & Bakery by Alana's Cakes Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 289 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 August 2025 |
| The Gathering Place St. Athan Community Cafe Other catering premises | 289 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 February 2025 |
| Milsom House Nursing & Residential Home Caring Premises | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 20 May 2025 |
| The Three Horseshoes Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.7 miles away | 3 - Generally satisfactory | 12 March 2026 |
| Lok's Kitchen Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 28 May 2025 |
Questions about ESS Sergeants' Mess
What is ESS Sergeants' Mess's food hygiene rating?
ESS Sergeants' Mess has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Vale of Glamorgan Council on 20 August 2026.
Is ESS Sergeants' Mess 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 ESS Sergeants' Mess last inspected?
ESS Sergeants' Mess was last inspected on 20 August 2026, within the last month. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Vale of Glamorgan Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at ESS Sergeants' Mess?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does ESS Sergeants' Mess compare to other places in Vale of Glamorgan?
72% of the 1,157 rated food businesses in Vale of Glamorgan hold the top rating of 5, and ESS Sergeants' Mess is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Vale of Glamorgan Council inspects ESS Sergeants' Mess 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 ESS Sergeants' Mess and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
Free, for three businesses, forever. No password, we send you a link. How rating alerts work →
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
ESS Sergeants' Mess is one of 29 rated food businesses in St Athan. See every hygiene rating in St Athan →
Vale of Glamorgan inspects and rates 1,329 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Vale of Glamorgan →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.valeofglamorgan.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 →