Mandarin House food hygiene rating
Takeaway/sandwich shop · Tendring
Mandarin House holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the takeaway and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 8 October 2025, 9 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: 614 Main Road, Harwich, Essex, CO12 4LW
How it compares in Tendring
A 1 is rare: only 20 of 1,157 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 | 106 | 9% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 32 | 3% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 20 | 2% | ← Mandarin House | |
| 0 out of 5 | 3 | <1% |
A further 123 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 Improvement necessary
- 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 Mandarin House the inspector recorded concerns over the condition of the premises and 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 Mandarin House, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean Fish Bar Takeaway/sandwich shop | at this address | 4 - Good | 28 January 2026 |
| Dovercourt Grill Takeaway/sandwich shop | 365 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 February 2026 |
| All Saints School School/college/university | 405 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 July 2025 |
| Cabin Food House Manufacturers/packers | 405 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 October 2024 |
| East of England Co-op Foodstore Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 405 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 May 2022 |
| Upper Dovercourt Post Office Retailers - other | 405 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 August 2024 |
| Health and Happiness Retailers - other | 407 yards away | 4 - Good | 17 January 2026 |
| Chase Lane Primary School School/college/university | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 19 September 2025 |
Questions about Mandarin House
What is Mandarin House's food hygiene rating?
Mandarin House has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Tendring Council on 8 October 2025.
Is Mandarin House safe to eat at?
A 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The takeaway 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 Mandarin House last inspected?
Mandarin House was last inspected on 8 October 2025, 9 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 Mandarin House?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "improvement necessary", 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 Mandarin House compare to other places in Tendring?
67% of the 1,157 rated food businesses in Tendring hold the top rating of 5, while Mandarin House holds a 1. 20 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Tendring Council inspects Mandarin House 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 Mandarin House 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
Mandarin House is one of 126 rated food businesses in Harwich. See every hygiene rating in Harwich →
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 →