The New Leather Bottle food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Colchester
The New Leather Bottle holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the pub met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
The rating dates from 29 September 2025, 9 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: Shrub End Road, Colchester, Essex, CO3 4RH
How it compares in Colchester
That puts The New Leather Bottle among the 1,200 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 | 1,200 | 89% | ← The New Leather Bottle | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 83 | 6% | ||
| 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 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 The New Leather Bottle 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.
Questions about The New Leather Bottle
What is The New Leather Bottle's food hygiene rating?
The New Leather Bottle has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Colchester Council on 29 September 2025.
Is The New Leather Bottle 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 pub to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was The New Leather Bottle last inspected?
The New Leather Bottle was last inspected on 29 September 2025, 9 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 The New Leather Bottle?
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 The New Leather Bottle compare to other places in Colchester?
89% of the 1,349 rated food businesses in Colchester hold the top rating of 5, and The New Leather Bottle is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Colchester Council inspects The New Leather Bottle 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 The New Leather Bottle 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 →