Handbridge Pub food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Cheshire West and Chester
Handbridge Pub holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the restaurant and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
This is a fresh result: Handbridge Pub was inspected on 23 July 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.
Only 2% of rated food businesses in Cheshire West and Chester score 0 to 2 like this, so a low rating here is the exception, not the norm. See all Cheshire West and Chester ratings →
Address: 66 Handbridge, Chester, CH4 7JF
How this rating has changed
Handbridge Pub has gone backwards: it held a 4 before its inspection on 23 July 2026, and now holds a 1. A rating of 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix.
| Inspected | Rating | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 23 July 2026 | 4 1 | Worse |
The FSA publishes only a business's current rating. This history is our own record of what it has scored since we began watching.
How it compares in Cheshire West and Chester
A 1 is rare: only 38 of 2,695 rated places in Cheshire West and Chester score this low, about one in 71. By contrast 81% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 2,173 | 81% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 294 | 11% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 153 | 6% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 35 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 38 | 1% | ← Handbridge Pub | |
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 254 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 Handbridge Pub 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 Handbridge Pub, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown Sugar Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 141 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 April 2026 |
| Abbeyfield House Caring Premises | 177 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 December 2025 |
| abm catering @ Queens Park High School School/college/university | 272 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 November 2024 |
| Bear And Billet Pub/bar/nightclub | 391 yards away | 5 - Very good | 31 July 2026 |
| Bridge Street Townhouse Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 February 2025 |
| Abba Cakes Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 January 2026 |
| Abode Chester Hotel Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 28 April 2026 |
| AMNI Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 August 2026 |
Questions about Handbridge Pub
What is Handbridge Pub's food hygiene rating?
Handbridge Pub has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Cheshire West and Chester Council on 23 July 2026.
Is Handbridge Pub safe to eat at?
A 1 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 Handbridge Pub last inspected?
Handbridge Pub was last inspected on 23 July 2026, a month ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Cheshire West and Chester Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Handbridge Pub?
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 Handbridge Pub compare to other places in Cheshire West and Chester?
81% of the 2,695 rated food businesses in Cheshire West and Chester hold the top rating of 5, while Handbridge Pub holds a 1. 38 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Cheshire West and Chester Council inspects Handbridge Pub 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 Handbridge Pub and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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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 Cheshire West and Chester, 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: Cheshire West and Chester
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Handbridge Pub is one of 1,117 rated food businesses in Chester. See every hygiene rating in Chester →
Cheshire West and Chester inspects and rates 2,949 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Cheshire West and Chester →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.cheshirewestandchester.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 →