5

Penny Meadow Life Skills Centre (Achieve Together) food hygiene rating

Other catering premises · Colchester

Penny Meadow Life Skills Centre (Achieve Together) holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the business met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 24 January 2023, more than 3 years ago. A lot can change in a kitchen in that time, and a rating this old says more about the business then than now. Councils prioritise re-inspecting higher-risk premises, so a long gap often means the business is considered low-risk.

Address: Marks Tey Methodist Church, 31 London Road, Marks Tey, CO6 1DZ

How this rating has changed

Penny Meadow Life Skills Centre (Achieve Together) was re-inspected on 24 January 2023 and held its rating of 5.

Inspected Rating Change
24 January 2023 5 5 Held

The FSA publishes only a business's current rating. This history is our own record of what it has scored since we began watching.

How it compares in Colchester

That puts Penny Meadow Life Skills Centre (Achieve Together) 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.

Every rated food business in Colchester
5 out of 5 1,191 89% ← Penny Meadow Life Skills Centre (Achieve Together)
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

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 Penny Meadow Life Skills Centre (Achieve Together) 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 Penny Meadow Life Skills Centre (Achieve Together), nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Bungalow Diner Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 254 yards away 5 - Very good 25 November 2025
Sarah Jane Creates Other catering premises 419 yards away 5 - Very good 12 August 2022
Love Local Essex & Suffolk Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 22 September 2023
A Willsher and Son Retailers - other 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 4 February 2025
Jane's Pantry Manufacturers/packers 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 11 March 2024
Marks Tey Post Office Stores Retailers - other 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 8 October 2020
London road bakery ltd Takeaway/sandwich shop 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 11 August 2025
Fortune House Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 21 August 2025

Questions about Penny Meadow Life Skills Centre (Achieve Together)

What is Penny Meadow Life Skills Centre (Achieve Together)'s food hygiene rating?

Penny Meadow Life Skills Centre (Achieve Together) has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Colchester Council on 24 January 2023.

Is Penny Meadow Life Skills Centre (Achieve Together) 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 business to be very good, the top end of the scale.

When was Penny Meadow Life Skills Centre (Achieve Together) last inspected?

Penny Meadow Life Skills Centre (Achieve Together) was last inspected on 24 January 2023, more than 3 years 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 Penny Meadow Life Skills Centre (Achieve Together)?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very 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 Penny Meadow Life Skills Centre (Achieve Together) compare to other places in Colchester?

89% of the 1,335 rated food businesses in Colchester hold the top rating of 5, and Penny Meadow Life Skills Centre (Achieve Together) is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Colchester Council inspects Penny Meadow Life Skills Centre (Achieve Together) 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 Penny Meadow Life Skills Centre (Achieve Together) and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

Penny Meadow Life Skills Centre (Achieve Together) is one of 23 rated food businesses in Marks Tey. See every hygiene rating in Marks Tey

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 →