Shoulder of Mutton Tea Room food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Colchester
Shoulder of Mutton Tea Room 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 8 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: Tea Room Shoulder of Mutton, Halstead Road, Fordham, CO6 3LL
How it compares in Colchester
That puts Shoulder of Mutton Tea Room 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% | ← Shoulder of Mutton Tea Room | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 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 Shoulder of Mutton Tea Room 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 Shoulder of Mutton Tea Room, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mill Race Garden Centre Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 October 2023 |
| Swallow Aquatics and The Kingfisher Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 2 - Some improvement necessary | 23 June 2025 |
| John Owen Barn Other catering premises | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 31 January 2025 |
| Coffee Shed, Part of The Three Horseshoes Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 July 2026 |
| The Three Horseshoes Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 July 2026 |
| Happy Fries Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 February 2024 |
| The Horsebox Mobile caterer | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 July 2022 |
Questions about Shoulder of Mutton Tea Room
What is Shoulder of Mutton Tea Room's food hygiene rating?
Shoulder of Mutton Tea Room has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Colchester Council on 8 January 2025.
Is Shoulder of Mutton Tea Room 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 Shoulder of Mutton Tea Room last inspected?
Shoulder of Mutton Tea Room was last inspected on 8 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 Shoulder of Mutton Tea Room?
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 "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Shoulder of Mutton Tea Room compare to other places in Colchester?
89% of the 1,335 rated food businesses in Colchester hold the top rating of 5, and Shoulder of Mutton Tea Room is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Colchester Council inspects Shoulder of Mutton Tea Room 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 Shoulder of Mutton Tea Room 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 →