3

B&M Bargains food hygiene rating

Retailers - other · Colchester

B&M Bargains holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The shop met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.

The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory

The rating dates from 12 May 2026, 2 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: 4 Tollgate West, Stanway, Essex, CO3 8RH

How it compares in Colchester

In Colchester, 89% of rated places manage a 5, so B&M Bargains sits behind roughly 1,273 nearby businesses. 4% of the borough shares its 3.

Every rated food business in Colchester
5 out of 5 1,191 89%
4 out of 5 82 6%
3 out of 5 48 4% ← B&M Bargains
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 B&M Bargains 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 B&M Bargains, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Costa Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 247 yards away 5 - Very good 18 March 2026
Costa Drive Thru Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 346 yards away 5 - Very good 30 April 2024
Aldi Stores Ltd Retailers - other 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 29 January 2025
Cook Retailers - other 0.4 miles away 5 - Very good 16 April 2025
Chilli Brothers Mobile caterer 0.4 miles away 5 - Very good 5 September 2024
China One Takeaway/sandwich shop 0.5 miles away 5 - Very good 6 November 2023
Blackberry Road Bakery Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 0.6 miles away 5 - Very good 10 April 2024
Domino's Pizza Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 0.7 miles away 5 - Very good 12 June 2026

Questions about B&M Bargains

What is B&M Bargains's food hygiene rating?

B&M Bargains has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Colchester Council on 12 May 2026.

Is B&M Bargains safe to eat at?

A 3 means the shop met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.

When was B&M Bargains last inspected?

B&M Bargains was last inspected on 12 May 2026, 2 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 B&M Bargains?

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 "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.

How does B&M Bargains compare to other places in Colchester?

89% of the 1,335 rated food businesses in Colchester hold the top rating of 5, while B&M Bargains holds a 3. 48 places in the area share that rating.

Who decides the rating?

Colchester Council inspects B&M Bargains 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 B&M Bargains and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

B&M Bargains is one of 93 rated food businesses in Stanway. See every hygiene rating in Stanway

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 →