The Ark Café food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Buckinghamshire
The Ark Café 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 25 January 2023, more than 3 years ago. A lot can change in a kitchen in that time, and a rating this old says more about the business then than now. Councils prioritise re-inspecting higher-risk premises, so a long gap often means the business is considered low-risk.
Address: Marlow Methodist Church, Spittal Street, Marlow, SL7 3HJ
How it compares in Buckinghamshire
That puts The Ark Café among the 3,235 places in Buckinghamshire holding top marks, 81% 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 | 3,235 | 81% | ← The Ark Café | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 527 | 13% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 171 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 41 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 31 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 606 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 Very good
- How well they manage food safety Very 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 The Ark Café 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 Ark Café, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brutus Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 26 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 March 2025 |
| Cook Marlow Retailers - other | 28 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 August 2022 |
| La Cantina Del Vino Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 37 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 November 2025 |
| Marks & Spencer Simply Food Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 38 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 January 2016 |
| Childcare 4 U Marlow Caring Premises | 54 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 April 2026 |
| Foxglove Studio Takeaway/sandwich shop | 57 yards away | 5 - Very good | 3 December 2022 |
| Majestic Wine Retailers - other | 57 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 May 2024 |
| Boots UK Ltd Retailers - other | 63 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 October 2024 |
Questions about The Ark Café
What is The Ark Café's food hygiene rating?
The Ark Café has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Buckinghamshire Council on 25 January 2023.
Is The Ark Café 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 The Ark Café last inspected?
The Ark Café was last inspected on 25 January 2023, more than 3 years ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Buckinghamshire Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Ark Café?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "very good", and confidence in the management of food safety "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Ark Café compare to other places in Buckinghamshire?
81% of the 4,006 rated food businesses in Buckinghamshire hold the top rating of 5, and The Ark Café is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Buckinghamshire Council inspects The Ark Café 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 Ark Café 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 Ark Café is one of 132 rated food businesses in Marlow. See every hygiene rating in Marlow →
Buckinghamshire inspects and rates 4,612 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Buckinghamshire →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.buckinghamshire.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 →