Spar food hygiene rating
Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets · Colchester
Spar holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the supermarket 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 March 2025, 16 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: 121 High Street, Colchester, Essex, CO1 1SZ
How it compares in Colchester
In Colchester, 89% of rated places manage a 5, so Spar 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% | ← Spar | |
| 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 Generally satisfactory
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Very good
- How well they manage food safety Generally satisfactory
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 Spar 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 Spar, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chaiiwala Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 76 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 November 2024 |
| Castlegate Day Centre Other catering premises | 78 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 January 2025 |
| Bills Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 92 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 October 2024 |
| BakeHouse Express Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 96 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 May 2023 |
| Castle Methodist Church Other catering premises | 101 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 December 2024 |
| ABI Store Retailers - other | 132 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 May 2026 |
| Banana Moon Day Nursery Colchester School/college/university | 142 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 May 2025 |
| Chopstix Noodle Bar Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 197 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 March 2026 |
Questions about Spar
What is Spar's food hygiene rating?
Spar has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Colchester Council on 4 March 2025.
Is Spar 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 supermarket to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was Spar last inspected?
Spar was last inspected on 4 March 2025, 16 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 Spar?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "very good", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Spar compare to other places in Colchester?
89% of the 1,349 rated food businesses in Colchester hold the top rating of 5, while Spar holds a 4. 83 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Colchester Council inspects Spar 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 Spar 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 →