Express Food Centre food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Harlow
Express Food Centre holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the shop are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 29 May 2025, 13 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: The Pink Cottage, Commonside Road, Harlow, CM18 7JB
How it compares in Harlow
In Harlow, 81% of rated places manage a 5, so Express Food Centre sits behind roughly 497 nearby businesses. 13% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 497 | 81% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 78 | 13% | ← Express Food Centre | |
| 3 out of 5 | 25 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 4 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 5 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 76 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 Generally satisfactory
- 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 Express Food Centre 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 Express Food Centre, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Co-op Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 136 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 November 2021 |
| Costa Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 29 May 2025 |
| Domino's Pizza Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 April 2026 |
| Dorringtons Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 February 2026 |
| Akhter Early Learning Centre Caring Premises | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 May 2026 |
| Chicken Corner Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 May 2026 |
| BG Food Shop TRAPEZA Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 18 January 2022 |
| Ashlyns Catering Ltd At Latton Green Primary Academy School/college/university | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 November 2025 |
Questions about Express Food Centre
What is Express Food Centre's food hygiene rating?
Express Food Centre has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Harlow Council on 29 May 2025.
Is Express Food Centre safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this shop to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was Express Food Centre last inspected?
Express Food Centre was last inspected on 29 May 2025, 13 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Harlow Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Express Food Centre?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Express Food Centre compare to other places in Harlow?
81% of the 611 rated food businesses in Harlow hold the top rating of 5, while Express Food Centre holds a 4. 78 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Harlow Council inspects Express Food Centre 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 Express Food Centre and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Harlow inspects and rates 687 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Harlow →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.harlow.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 →