The Barge Inn food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Chelmsford
The Barge Inn holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the restaurant are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 7 April 2026, 3 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: Barge Inn, Hawk Hill, Rettendon, SS11 7RE
How it compares in Chelmsford
In Chelmsford, 92% of rated places manage a 5, so The Barge Inn sits behind roughly 1,343 nearby businesses. 6% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,343 | 92% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 86 | 6% | ← The Barge Inn | |
| 3 out of 5 | 18 | 1% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 6 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 9 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 143 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety Good
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 The Barge Inn 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 The Barge Inn, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frasers Guest House Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 50 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 January 2025 |
| Haybarn Tearooms Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 160 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 February 2026 |
| Gables Burgers Mobile caterer | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 19 August 2024 |
| Hayes Community Club Other catering premises | 1.0 miles away | 5 - Very good | 11 October 2024 |
Questions about The Barge Inn
What is The Barge Inn's food hygiene rating?
The Barge Inn has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Chelmsford Council on 7 April 2026.
Is The Barge Inn safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this restaurant to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Barge Inn last inspected?
The Barge Inn was last inspected on 7 April 2026, 3 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Chelmsford Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Barge Inn?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Barge Inn compare to other places in Chelmsford?
92% of the 1,463 rated food businesses in Chelmsford hold the top rating of 5, while The Barge Inn holds a 4. 86 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Chelmsford Council inspects The Barge Inn 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 The Barge Inn and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Barge Inn is one of 28 rated food businesses in Wickford. See every hygiene rating in Wickford →
Chelmsford inspects and rates 1,606 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Chelmsford →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.chelmsford.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 →