Essex Chef food hygiene rating
Takeaway/sandwich shop · Thurrock
Essex Chef holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The takeaway met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 24 January 2026, 5 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: 34 High Street, Aveley, South Ockendon, RM15 4AD
How it compares in Thurrock
In Thurrock, 71% of rated places manage a 5, so Essex Chef sits behind roughly 1,062 nearby businesses. 7% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 834 | 71% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 228 | 20% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 85 | 7% | ← Essex Chef | |
| 2 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 122 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Generally satisfactory
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Good
- 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 Essex Chef 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 Essex Chef, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Co-op Food Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 129 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 November 2025 |
| Aveley Post Office Retailers - other | 147 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 February 2025 |
| Crown And Anchor Pub/bar/nightclub | 158 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 March 2026 |
| Aveley Community Hub Coffee And Snack Bar Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 260 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 July 2025 |
| Explorers Aveley Caring Premises | 260 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 February 2026 |
| Capability Brown Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 February 2026 |
| Ashlyns Organics Other catering premises | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 December 2025 |
| Burger King Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 February 2025 |
Questions about Essex Chef
What is Essex Chef's food hygiene rating?
Essex Chef has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Thurrock Council on 24 January 2026.
Is Essex Chef safe to eat at?
A 3 means the takeaway met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was Essex Chef last inspected?
Essex Chef was last inspected on 24 January 2026, 5 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Thurrock Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Essex Chef?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Essex Chef compare to other places in Thurrock?
71% of the 1,168 rated food businesses in Thurrock hold the top rating of 5, while Essex Chef holds a 3. 85 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Thurrock Council inspects Essex Chef 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 Essex Chef and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Essex Chef is one of 79 rated food businesses in South Ockendon. See every hygiene rating in South Ockendon →
Thurrock inspects and rates 1,290 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Thurrock →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.thurrock.gov.uk/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 →