The Mess Café food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · South Cambridgeshire
The Mess 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 18 September 2024, 21 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 Officers Mess Business Centre Royston Road, Duxford, CB22 4QH
How it compares in South Cambridgeshire
That puts The Mess Café among the 1,062 places in South Cambridgeshire 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 | 1,062 | 87% | ← The Mess Café | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 121 | 10% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 26 | 2% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 5 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 5 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 95 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Very 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 The Mess 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 Mess Café, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greggs Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 176 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 June 2026 |
| Londis Aerodrome Retailers - other | 176 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 June 2026 |
| Pret A Manger Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 176 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 June 2026 |
| Imperial War Museum Food Outlets Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 16 May 2025 |
Questions about The Mess Café
What is The Mess Café's food hygiene rating?
The Mess Café has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by South Cambridgeshire Council on 18 September 2024.
Is The Mess 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 Mess Café last inspected?
The Mess Café was last inspected on 18 September 2024, 21 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by South Cambridgeshire Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Mess Café?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very 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 The Mess Café compare to other places in South Cambridgeshire?
87% of the 1,221 rated food businesses in South Cambridgeshire hold the top rating of 5, and The Mess Café is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
South Cambridgeshire Council inspects The Mess 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 Mess 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 Mess Café is one of 15 rated food businesses in Duxford. See every hygiene rating in Duxford →
South Cambridgeshire inspects and rates 1,316 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in South Cambridgeshire →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.scambs.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 →