Crystal Cafe food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Maldon
Crystal Cafe 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: Crystal Cafe was inspected on 23 July 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.
Only 1% of rated food businesses in Maldon score 0 to 2 like this, so a low rating here is the exception, not the norm. See all Maldon ratings →
Address: 154 High Street, Maldon, Essex, CM9 5BX
How this rating has changed
Crystal Cafe has gone backwards: it held a 3 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 | 3 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 Maldon
A 1 is rare: only 3 of 591 rated places in Maldon score this low, about one in 197. By contrast 88% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 523 | 88% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 41 | 7% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 22 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 2 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 3 | 1% | ← Crystal Cafe | |
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 92 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Improvement necessary
- 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 Crystal Cafe the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled, 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 Crystal Cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Rabbit Pub/bar/nightclub | at this address | 5 - Very good | 19 February 2025 |
| Farmers Yard Pub/bar/nightclub | at this address | 5 - Very good | 6 February 2025 |
| House Of Delight Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 23 January 2025 |
| Il Camino Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 34 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 June 2024 |
| Hemlocks Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 87 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 December 2025 |
| Moonlight Balti Express Takeaway/sandwich shop | 107 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 February 2025 |
| First Stop Retailers - other | 107 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 July 2025 |
| Maldon King Kebab Takeaway/sandwich shop | 107 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 January 2025 |
Questions about Crystal Cafe
What is Crystal Cafe's food hygiene rating?
Crystal Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Maldon Council on 23 July 2026.
Is Crystal Cafe 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 Crystal Cafe last inspected?
Crystal Cafe was last inspected on 23 July 2026, a month ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Maldon Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Crystal Cafe?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", 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 Crystal Cafe compare to other places in Maldon?
88% of the 591 rated food businesses in Maldon hold the top rating of 5, while Crystal Cafe holds a 1. 3 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Maldon Council inspects Crystal Cafe 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 Crystal Cafe 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 Maldon, 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: Maldon
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Maldon inspects and rates 683 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Maldon →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.maldon.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 →