Finch Cafe food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Hackney
Finch Cafe holds a 2, which means some improvement is necessary. The inspector found problems at the restaurant that the business is required to fix.
The rating: 2 - Some improvement necessary
The rating dates from 13 August 2025, 10 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: 12 Sidworth Street, Hackney, E8 3SD
How it compares in Hackney
A 2 is rare: only 78 of 2,218 rated places in Hackney score this low, about one in 28. By contrast 66% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,470 | 66% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 422 | 19% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 215 | 10% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 78 | 4% | ← Finch Cafe | |
| 1 out of 5 | 28 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 5 | <1% |
A further 395 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Improvement necessary
- 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 Finch Cafe the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled. 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 Finch Cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Express Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 253 yards away | 5 - Very good | 3 November 2022 |
| 4cose Ltd Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 19 June 2026 |
| Ace Pizza Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 November 2025 |
| % Arabica Manufacturers/packers | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 April 2025 |
| Adonis Supermarket Retailers - other | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 December 2024 |
| 392 Kingsland Road Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 24 October 2024 |
| 13Express Roman Rd Retailers - other | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 20 August 2025 |
| Adom Trading Retailers - other | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 January 2023 |
Questions about Finch Cafe
What is Finch Cafe's food hygiene rating?
Finch Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 2 out of 5 (some improvement necessary), given by Hackney Council on 13 August 2025.
Is Finch Cafe safe to eat at?
A 2 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The restaurant is not shut down, a rating is not a closure order, but standards were found to be below what the law expects at the time of inspection.
When was Finch Cafe last inspected?
Finch Cafe was last inspected on 13 August 2025, 10 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Hackney Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Finch Cafe?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", 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 Finch Cafe compare to other places in Hackney?
66% of the 2,218 rated food businesses in Hackney hold the top rating of 5, while Finch Cafe holds a 2. 78 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Hackney Council inspects Finch 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 Finch Cafe 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 2 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 Hackney, 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: Hackney
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Hackney inspects and rates 2,613 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Hackney →
The official record is held by the council: https://hackney.gov.uk/environmental-health#food
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 →