The Ship food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Chelmsford
The Ship holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the restaurant 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 13 November 2025, 7 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: The Ship Inn, Stock Road, West Hanningfield, CM2 8LB
How it compares in Chelmsford
In Chelmsford, 92% of rated places manage a 5, so The Ship sits behind roughly 1,327 nearby businesses. 6% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,327 | 92% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 86 | 6% | ← The Ship | |
| 3 out of 5 | 18 | 1% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 6 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 9 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 153 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 Good
- How well they manage food safety Very 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 Ship 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 The Ship, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shell Little Waitrose Stock Road Retailers - other | 79 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 July 2024 |
| Chess Homeless Turning Point Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 197 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 July 2025 |
| International Bible Students Association Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 February 2025 |
| Crondon Park Golf And Country Club Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 3 November 2025 |
| Little Smarties Nursery Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 16 April 2026 |
| Bakers Arms Pub/bar/nightclub | 1.0 miles away | 5 - Very good | 28 March 2026 |
| Stock & Buttsbury Bowling Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 1.0 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 March 2026 |
| Stock Cricket Club Other catering premises | 1.0 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 July 2025 |
Questions about The Ship
What is The Ship's food hygiene rating?
The Ship has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Chelmsford Council on 13 November 2025.
Is The Ship 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 restaurant to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Ship last inspected?
The Ship was last inspected on 13 November 2025, 7 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Chelmsford Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Ship?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Ship compare to other places in Chelmsford?
92% of the 1,447 rated food businesses in Chelmsford hold the top rating of 5, while The Ship holds a 4. 86 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Chelmsford Council inspects The Ship 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 Ship and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Chelmsford inspects and rates 1,600 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Chelmsford →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.chelmsford.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 →