The Layer Fox food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Colchester
The Layer Fox holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the pub 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 20 March 2025, 15 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: 2 Malting Green Road, Layer De La Haye, Essex, CO2 0JH
How it compares in Colchester
In Colchester, 89% of rated places manage a 5, so The Layer Fox sits behind roughly 1,191 nearby businesses. 6% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,191 | 89% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 82 | 6% | ← The Layer Fox | |
| 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 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 The Layer Fox 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 Layer Fox, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Layer Village Store Retailers - other | 76 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 November 2022 |
| Layer-de-la-Haye Primary School School/college/university | 145 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 September 2025 |
| Iced N A Slice Other catering premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 January 2021 |
| Donkey & Buskins Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 24 September 2024 |
Questions about The Layer Fox
What is The Layer Fox's food hygiene rating?
The Layer Fox has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Colchester Council on 20 March 2025.
Is The Layer Fox 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 pub to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Layer Fox last inspected?
The Layer Fox was last inspected on 20 March 2025, 15 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 Layer Fox?
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 The Layer Fox compare to other places in Colchester?
89% of the 1,335 rated food businesses in Colchester hold the top rating of 5, while The Layer Fox holds a 4. 82 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Colchester Council inspects The Layer Fox 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 Layer Fox 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 →