Em's Cookhouse food hygiene rating
Mobile caterer · Halton
Em's Cookhouse holds a 2, which means some improvement is necessary. The inspector found problems at the mobile caterer that the business is required to fix.
The rating: 2 - Some improvement necessary
The rating dates from 7 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: Trading Birchfield Road, Widnes
How it compares in Halton
A 2 is rare: only 15 of 825 rated places in Halton score this low, about one in 55. By contrast 75% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 620 | 75% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 106 | 13% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 66 | 8% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 15 | 2% | ← Em's Cookhouse | |
| 1 out of 5 | 13 | 2% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 5 | 1% |
A further 81 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Improvement necessary
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- 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 Em's Cookhouse the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled. Because the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, that is what holds the score down.
Questions about Em's Cookhouse
What is Em's Cookhouse's food hygiene rating?
Em's Cookhouse has a food hygiene rating of 2 out of 5 (some improvement necessary), given by Halton Council on 7 March 2025.
Is Em's Cookhouse safe to eat at?
A 2 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The mobile caterer is not shut down, a rating is not a closure order, but standards were found to be below what the law expects at the time of inspection.
When was Em's Cookhouse last inspected?
Em's Cookhouse was last inspected on 7 March 2025, 16 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Halton Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Em's Cookhouse?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", 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 Em's Cookhouse compare to other places in Halton?
75% of the 825 rated food businesses in Halton hold the top rating of 5, while Em's Cookhouse holds a 2. 15 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Halton Council inspects Em's Cookhouse 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 Em's Cookhouse and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
Free, for three businesses, forever. No password, we send you a link. How rating alerts work →
Is this your business?
A rating of 2 is public, and most customers look. Only 18% of people say they would order from a business rated 2 or below, against 94% from one rated 4. Delivery platforms may decline to list you.
We cannot change this rating, and nor can you. It was set by an environmental health officer at Halton, and it stands until they inspect again. What you can do:
- Fix what the inspector found, then ask the council for a re-inspection. Most charge between £120 and £316, and will not re-visit within three months of the original inspection.
- If you believe the rating is simply wrong, you have 21 days from being notified to appeal to the council. That is 21 calendar days, not working days.
- You may submit a right to reply at any time. It is published alongside the rating, here, and on the FSA's own site.
What a low rating means → · How re-inspections and appeals work →
Your council: Halton
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Em's Cookhouse is one of 413 rated food businesses in Widnes. See every hygiene rating in Widnes →
Halton inspects and rates 906 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Halton →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.halton.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 →