The Cafe food hygiene rating
Mobile caterer · Cherwell
The Cafe holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The mobile caterer 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 8 January 2025, 18 months ago. That is getting on for the longest gap councils usually leave, so the score may not reflect how the business is run today.
Address: The Cafe Wickes Launton Road, Bicester, OX26 4JQ
How it compares in Cherwell
In Cherwell, 80% of rated places manage a 5, so The Cafe sits behind roughly 1,134 nearby businesses. 5% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 977 | 80% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 157 | 13% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 65 | 5% | ← The Cafe | |
| 2 out of 5 | 14 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 6 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 103 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 The Cafe 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 The Cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clip n Climb Bicester Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 231 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 November 2022 |
| Lidl UK GMBH Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 July 2017 |
| Bicester Bowls Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 February 2024 |
| Nettle Manufacturers/packers | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 20 May 2025 |
| By All Means Pizza And Pasta Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 29 January 2023 |
| Inspire Community Hub Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 18 February 2026 |
| Ashton Club (Bicester) Ltd Other catering premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 June 2014 |
| Nothing but Footprints Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 July 2023 |
Questions about The Cafe
What is The Cafe's food hygiene rating?
The Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Cherwell Council on 8 January 2025.
Is The Cafe safe to eat at?
A 3 means the mobile caterer 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 The Cafe last inspected?
The Cafe was last inspected on 8 January 2025, 18 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Cherwell Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Cafe?
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 The Cafe compare to other places in Cherwell?
80% of the 1,221 rated food businesses in Cherwell hold the top rating of 5, while The Cafe holds a 3. 65 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Cherwell Council inspects The Cafe 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 The Cafe and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Cafe is one of 260 rated food businesses in Bicester. See every hygiene rating in Bicester →
Cherwell inspects and rates 1,324 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Cherwell →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.cherwell.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 →