Jennys Bistro Cafe food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Cherwell
Jennys Bistro Cafe holds a 2, which means some improvement is necessary. The inspector found problems at the restaurant that the business is required to fix.
The rating: 2 - Some improvement necessary
The rating dates from 10 December 2024, 19 months ago. That is getting on for the longest gap councils usually leave, so the score may not reflect how the business is run today.
Address: 13 Market Square, Bicester, OX26 6AD
How it compares in Cherwell
A 2 is rare: only 14 of 1,221 rated places in Cherwell score this low, about one in 87. By contrast 80% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 977 | 80% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 157 | 13% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 65 | 5% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 14 | 1% | ← Jennys Bistro Cafe | |
| 1 out of 5 | 6 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 103 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 Jennys Bistro Cafe 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.
Food hygiene ratings nearby
The closest food businesses to Jennys Bistro Cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinnamon Tree Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 19 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 November 2025 |
| Light and salt Takeaway/sandwich shop | 29 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 May 2025 |
| Gyoshoya Uk Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 58 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 May 2026 |
| Morrisons Daily Retailers - other | 62 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 April 2026 |
| House of flavours Retailers - other | 84 yards away | 5 - Very good | 2 June 2026 |
| Nothing but Footprints Retailers - other | 93 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 July 2023 |
| Bicester Local Retailers - other | 97 yards away | 5 - Very good | 31 January 2025 |
| Bicester Fresh Fish Fruit & Veg Retailers - other | 119 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 May 2022 |
Questions about Jennys Bistro Cafe
What is Jennys Bistro Cafe's food hygiene rating?
Jennys Bistro Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 2 out of 5 (some improvement necessary), given by Cherwell Council on 10 December 2024.
Is Jennys Bistro Cafe safe to eat at?
A 2 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The restaurant 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 Jennys Bistro Cafe last inspected?
Jennys Bistro Cafe was last inspected on 10 December 2024, 19 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Cherwell Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Jennys Bistro Cafe?
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 Jennys Bistro Cafe compare to other places in Cherwell?
80% of the 1,221 rated food businesses in Cherwell hold the top rating of 5, while Jennys Bistro Cafe holds a 2. 14 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Cherwell Council inspects Jennys Bistro Cafe 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 Jennys Bistro Cafe 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 Cherwell, 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: Cherwell
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Jennys Bistro Cafe is one of 260 rated food businesses in Bicester. See every hygiene rating in Bicester →
Cherwell inspects and rates 1,324 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Cherwell →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.cherwell.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 →