The Ancient Briton food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Colchester
The Ancient Briton holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the pub met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
The rating dates from 9 January 2025, 18 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: 17 Iceni Way, Colchester, Essex, CO2 9EG
How it compares in Colchester
That puts The Ancient Briton among the 1,191 places in Colchester holding top marks, 89% 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 | 1,191 | 89% | ← The Ancient Briton | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 82 | 6% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 48 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 3 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 9 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 296 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 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 Ancient Briton 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 Ancient Briton, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Britts Grill Mobile caterer | at this address | 5 - Very good | 26 November 2025 |
| CESSAC Community Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 29 January 2025 |
| Asda Express Colchester - Shrub End Road PFS Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 May 2024 |
| Colcheco Retailers - other | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 February 2025 |
| Budgens of Colchester Retailers - other | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 August 2025 |
| Browning Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 July 2025 |
| Coffeehog Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 November 2025 |
| Butterfly Blue Day Nursery Caring Premises | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 30 September 2025 |
Questions about The Ancient Briton
What is The Ancient Briton's food hygiene rating?
The Ancient Briton has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Colchester Council on 9 January 2025.
Is The Ancient Briton 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 pub to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Ancient Briton last inspected?
The Ancient Briton was last inspected on 9 January 2025, 18 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Colchester Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Ancient Briton?
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 "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Ancient Briton compare to other places in Colchester?
89% of the 1,335 rated food businesses in Colchester hold the top rating of 5, and The Ancient Briton is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Colchester Council inspects The Ancient Briton 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 Ancient Briton and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Colchester inspects and rates 1,631 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Colchester →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.colchester.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 →