Hollies Bakery food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Colchester
Hollies Bakery 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 4 February 2025, 17 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: 356 Mersea Road, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8RB
How it compares in Colchester
In Colchester, 89% of rated places manage a 5, so Hollies Bakery sits behind roughly 1,200 nearby businesses. 6% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,200 | 89% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 83 | 6% | ← Hollies Bakery | |
| 3 out of 5 | 50 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 5 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 9 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 302 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 Hollies Bakery 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 Hollies Bakery, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Codfather Takeaway/sandwich shop | 144 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 July 2025 |
| China House Takeaway/sandwich shop | 438 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 December 2024 |
| Coffeehog Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 24 September 2025 |
| Blossoms Preschool & Childrens Centre Caring Premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 16 October 2024 |
| Baltika 4U Retailers - other | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 20 March 2025 |
| Bakeoffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 1.0 miles away | 5 - Very good | 20 November 2024 |
Questions about Hollies Bakery
What is Hollies Bakery's food hygiene rating?
Hollies Bakery has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Colchester Council on 4 February 2025.
Is Hollies Bakery 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 Hollies Bakery last inspected?
Hollies Bakery was last inspected on 4 February 2025, 17 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 Hollies Bakery?
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 Hollies Bakery compare to other places in Colchester?
89% of the 1,349 rated food businesses in Colchester hold the top rating of 5, while Hollies Bakery holds a 4. 83 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Colchester Council inspects Hollies Bakery 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 Hollies Bakery 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 1,651 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 →