Brakes food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Harlow
Brakes holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The restaurant 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 6 February 2026, 5 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: Unit 3, Ash Industrial Estate, Flex Meadow, CM19 5TJ
How it compares in Harlow
In Harlow, 81% of rated places manage a 5, so Brakes sits behind roughly 575 nearby businesses. 4% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 497 | 81% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 78 | 13% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 25 | 4% | ← Brakes | |
| 2 out of 5 | 4 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 5 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 76 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 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 Brakes 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 Brakes, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Js Snack Bar Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 February 2025 |
| Canteen Caffe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 20 May 2026 |
| Coral And Blue Ltd Mobile caterer | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 3 September 2024 |
| Busy Bees Day Nursery Caring Premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 16 May 2025 |
| Ashlyns Organics Ltd At Katherines Primary Academy School/college/university | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 24 March 2025 |
| Dine Contract Catering Ltd At Bidfood Staff Canteen Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 March 2026 |
| Canons Brook Golf Club House Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 February 2025 |
| Best One Retailers - other | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 30 May 2022 |
Questions about Brakes
What is Brakes's food hygiene rating?
Brakes has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Harlow Council on 6 February 2026.
Is Brakes safe to eat at?
A 3 means the restaurant 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 Brakes last inspected?
Brakes was last inspected on 6 February 2026, 5 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Harlow Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Brakes?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", 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 Brakes compare to other places in Harlow?
81% of the 611 rated food businesses in Harlow hold the top rating of 5, while Brakes holds a 3. 25 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Harlow Council inspects Brakes 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 Brakes and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Harlow inspects and rates 687 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Harlow →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.harlow.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 →