Harwich Road Stores food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Tendring
Harwich Road Stores holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the shop and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 11 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: 18 Harwich Road, Little Clacton, Clacton on Sea, CO16 9ND
How it compares in Tendring
A 1 is rare: only 20 of 1,156 rated places in Tendring score this low, about one in 58. By contrast 67% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 775 | 67% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 221 | 19% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 105 | 9% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 32 | 3% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 20 | 2% | ← Harwich Road Stores | |
| 0 out of 5 | 3 | <1% |
A further 124 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 Major improvement necessary
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 Harwich Road Stores the inspector recorded concerns over confidence in management. 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 Harwich Road Stores, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harwich Road Stores Retailers - other | 76 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 February 2018 |
| Belamacanda Caring Premises | 218 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 April 2026 |
| Simply Chocolate Fountains Other catering premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 June 2025 |
| Little Paddocks Caring Premises | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 October 2022 |
| Priory Group Aspris Childrens Service Caring Premises | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 16 August 2022 |
| Engaines Primary School School/college/university | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 July 2025 |
Questions about Harwich Road Stores
What is Harwich Road Stores's food hygiene rating?
Harwich Road Stores has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Tendring Council on 11 February 2026.
Is Harwich Road Stores safe to eat at?
A 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The shop 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 Harwich Road Stores last inspected?
Harwich Road Stores was last inspected on 11 February 2026, 5 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Tendring Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Harwich Road Stores?
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 "major improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Harwich Road Stores compare to other places in Tendring?
67% of the 1,156 rated food businesses in Tendring hold the top rating of 5, while Harwich Road Stores holds a 1. 20 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Tendring Council inspects Harwich Road Stores 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 Harwich Road Stores 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 1 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 Tendring, 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: Tendring
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Harwich Road Stores is one of 505 rated food businesses in Clacton on Sea. See every hygiene rating in Clacton on Sea →
Tendring inspects and rates 1,280 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Tendring →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.tendringdc.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 →