Brief Encounter Bistro & Bar food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Lancaster City
Brief Encounter Bistro & Bar holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The restaurant met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 29 April 2025, 14 months ago. Councils typically re-inspect higher-risk businesses every six months to two years, with well-run, low-risk places visited least often, so this is a normal gap.
Address: Carnforth Railway Station, Warton Road, Carnforth, LA5 9ET
How it compares in Lancaster City
In Lancaster City, 79% of rated places manage a 5, so Brief Encounter Bistro & Bar sits behind roughly 1,038 nearby businesses. 4% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 865 | 79% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 173 | 16% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 44 | 4% | ← Brief Encounter Bistro & Bar | |
| 2 out of 5 | 12 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 5 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 64 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Generally satisfactory
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety Generally satisfactory
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 Brief Encounter Bistro & Bar 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 Brief Encounter Bistro & Bar, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Snug Micropub Pub/bar/nightclub | 91 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 October 2023 |
| Whisk and Sugar Other catering premises | 91 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 January 2024 |
| Royal Station Hotel Pub/bar/nightclub | 140 yards away | 4 - Good | 10 September 2025 |
| Conservative Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 153 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 December 2025 |
| The Co-operative Retailers - other | 185 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 August 2025 |
| Salvation Army Other catering premises | 201 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 January 2025 |
| Cafe Edelweiss Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 215 yards away | 4 - Good | 24 January 2025 |
| Carnforth Hotel Pub/bar/nightclub | 240 yards away | 3 - Generally satisfactory | 15 November 2024 |
Questions about Brief Encounter Bistro & Bar
What is Brief Encounter Bistro & Bar's food hygiene rating?
Brief Encounter Bistro & Bar has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Lancaster City Council on 29 April 2025.
Is Brief Encounter Bistro & Bar safe to eat at?
A 3 means the restaurant met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was Brief Encounter Bistro & Bar last inspected?
Brief Encounter Bistro & Bar was last inspected on 29 April 2025, 14 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Lancaster City Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Brief Encounter Bistro & Bar?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Brief Encounter Bistro & Bar compare to other places in Lancaster City?
79% of the 1,101 rated food businesses in Lancaster City hold the top rating of 5, while Brief Encounter Bistro & Bar holds a 3. 44 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Lancaster City Council inspects Brief Encounter Bistro & Bar 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 Brief Encounter Bistro & Bar and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Brief Encounter Bistro & Bar is one of 117 rated food businesses in Carnforth. See every hygiene rating in Carnforth →
Lancaster City inspects and rates 1,165 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Lancaster City →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.lancaster.gov.uk/foodratings
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 →