El Mercado food hygiene rating
Takeaway/sandwich shop · Swansea
El Mercado holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The takeaway 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 24 July 2025, 11 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: Unit 42a Swansea Market, Oxford Street, SA1 3PQ
How it compares in Swansea
In Swansea, 68% of rated places manage a 5, so El Mercado sits behind roughly 1,876 nearby businesses. 10% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,463 | 68% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 413 | 19% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 209 | 10% | ← El Mercado | |
| 2 out of 5 | 27 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 20 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 5 | <1% |
A further 296 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 El Mercado 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 El Mercado, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arlene's Sweetie Jar Retailers - other | at this address | 5 - Very good | 5 August 2022 |
| Brontosaurus Vegan Lifestyle Store Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 30 March 2022 |
| Choice Is Yours Retailers - other | 19 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 August 2022 |
| Chopstix Noodle Bar Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 59 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 March 2025 |
| Burger King Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 66 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 February 2026 |
| Costa Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 71 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 June 2026 |
| Caffe Lucia Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 72 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 December 2025 |
| Boots The Chemist Retailers - other | 102 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 January 2022 |
Questions about El Mercado
What is El Mercado's food hygiene rating?
El Mercado has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Swansea Council on 24 July 2025.
Is El Mercado safe to eat at?
A 3 means the takeaway 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 El Mercado last inspected?
El Mercado was last inspected on 24 July 2025, 11 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Swansea Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at El Mercado?
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 El Mercado compare to other places in Swansea?
68% of the 2,137 rated food businesses in Swansea hold the top rating of 5, while El Mercado holds a 3. 209 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Swansea Council inspects El Mercado 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 El Mercado and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
El Mercado is one of 248 rated food businesses in City Centre. See every hygiene rating in City Centre →
Swansea inspects and rates 2,433 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Swansea →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.swansea.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 →