Earls Mercantile food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Rother
Earls Mercantile holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the restaurant met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
The rating dates from 2 March 2026, 4 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: 21B Ninfield Road, Bexhill, TN39 5AE
How it compares in Rother
That puts Earls Mercantile among the 880 places in Rother holding top marks, 87% of everywhere the council rates. A 5 is the norm here rather than the exception, so it is the rating to expect, not to be impressed by.
| 5 out of 5 | 880 | 87% | ← Earls Mercantile | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 95 | 9% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 35 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 2 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 1 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 12 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Good
- How well they manage food safety Good
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 Earls Mercantile 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 Earls Mercantile, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carrolls Limited Retailers - other | 18 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 October 2024 |
| Bubble'N Sweets Retailers - other | 71 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 September 2023 |
| Cafe Express Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 96 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 September 2024 |
| Easy Shop Retailers - other | 100 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 October 2024 |
| abm@The Orangery Caring Premises | 101 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 April 2025 |
| Bexhill Fried Chicken Takeaway/sandwich shop | 101 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 February 2026 |
| Bexhill Family Collective Community Pantry Distributors/Transporters | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 March 2023 |
| Dragonflies Community Nursery Caring Premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 May 2025 |
Questions about Earls Mercantile
What is Earls Mercantile's food hygiene rating?
Earls Mercantile has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Rother Council on 2 March 2026.
Is Earls Mercantile safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 5 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this restaurant to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was Earls Mercantile last inspected?
Earls Mercantile was last inspected on 2 March 2026, 4 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Rother Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Earls Mercantile?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Earls Mercantile compare to other places in Rother?
87% of the 1,013 rated food businesses in Rother hold the top rating of 5, and Earls Mercantile is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Rother Council inspects Earls Mercantile 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 Earls Mercantile and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Earls Mercantile is one of 341 rated food businesses in Bexhill. See every hygiene rating in Bexhill →
Rother inspects and rates 1,025 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Rother →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.rother.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 →