The Pitstop - Mobile food hygiene rating
Mobile caterer · Harlow
The Pitstop - Mobile holds a 0, the lowest food hygiene rating possible, meaning urgent improvement is necessary. The inspector found serious problems at the mobile caterer requiring immediate action.
The rating: 0 - Urgent improvement necessary
This rating dates from 26 June 2026, but the business has been re-inspected and a new rating is awaiting publication, so the score shown here is about to change.
Only 1% of rated food businesses in Harlow score 0 to 2 like this, so a low rating here is the exception, not the norm. See all Harlow ratings →
Address: Mobile Trader, North Place, Harlow, CM20 2SL
How this rating has changed
The Pitstop - Mobile has gone backwards: it held a 5 before its inspection on 26 June 2026, and now holds a 0. A rating of 0 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix.
| Inspected | Rating | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 26 June 2026 | 5 0 | Worse |
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 Harlow
A 0 is rare: only 3 of 617 rated places in Harlow score this low, about one in 206. By contrast 82% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 508 | 82% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 74 | 12% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 26 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 2 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 4 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 3 | <1% | ← The Pitstop - Mobile |
A further 78 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Major improvement necessary
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Major improvement necessary
- How well they manage food safety Major improvement necessary
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 Pitstop - Mobile the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled, the condition of the premises and confidence in management. Because the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, that is what holds the score down.
Food hygiene ratings nearby
The closest food businesses to The Pitstop - Mobile, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dee Dees Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 219 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 May 2025 |
| Costa At Tesco Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 289 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 March 2017 |
| Cornish Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 December 2025 |
| Cosimpex Ltd Distributors/Transporters | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 July 2026 |
| Barserve Co Ltd Mobile caterer | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 3 July 2019 |
| Antico Harlow Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 19 June 2026 |
| Bengal Cottage Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 July 2026 |
| Dorringtons Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 June 2025 |
Questions about The Pitstop - Mobile
What is The Pitstop - Mobile's food hygiene rating?
The Pitstop - Mobile has a food hygiene rating of 0 out of 5 (urgent improvement necessary), given by Harlow Council on 26 June 2026.
Is The Pitstop - Mobile safe to eat at?
A 0 means urgent improvement is necessary: the inspector found serious problems. The mobile caterer may still be trading, because a rating is not a closure order, but this is the lowest score the scheme gives.
When was The Pitstop - Mobile last inspected?
The Pitstop - Mobile was last inspected on 26 June 2026, 2 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Harlow Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Pitstop - Mobile?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "major improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "major improvement necessary", and confidence in the management of food safety "major improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Pitstop - Mobile compare to other places in Harlow?
82% of the 617 rated food businesses in Harlow hold the top rating of 5, while The Pitstop - Mobile holds a 0. 3 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Harlow Council inspects The Pitstop - Mobile 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 Pitstop - Mobile 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 →
Is this your business?
A rating of 0 is public, and most customers look. Only 18% of people say they would order from a business rated 2 or below, against 94% from one rated 4. Delivery platforms may decline to list you.
We cannot change this rating, and nor can you. It was set by an environmental health officer at Harlow, and it stands until they inspect again. What you can do:
- Fix what the inspector found, then ask the council for a re-inspection. Most charge between £120 and £316, and will not re-visit within three months of the original inspection.
- If you believe the rating is simply wrong, you have 21 days from being notified to appeal to the council. That is 21 calendar days, not working days.
- You may submit a right to reply at any time. It is published alongside the rating, here, and on the FSA's own site.
What a low rating means → · How re-inspections and appeals work →
Your council: Harlow
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Harlow inspects and rates 695 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Harlow →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.harlow.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 →