Marks Cafe food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · South Norfolk
Marks Cafe holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The restaurant met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 20 April 2026, 2 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: 5 - 7 Church Street, Harleston, Norfolk, IP20 9BB
How it compares in South Norfolk
In South Norfolk, 84% of rated places manage a 5, so Marks Cafe sits behind roughly 923 nearby businesses. 4% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 823 | 84% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 100 | 10% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 39 | 4% | ← Marks Cafe | |
| 2 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 8 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
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 Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety Generally satisfactory
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 Marks Cafe 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 Marks Cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Just Truffles Chocolate Limited/The Pod Chocolates Manufacturers/packers | 20 yards away | 5 - Very good | 13 August 2025 |
| Kam Moon Takeaway/sandwich shop | 20 yards away | 4 - Good | 3 September 2025 |
| Harleston Local Store Retailers - other | 27 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 October 2024 |
| The Tudor Bakehouse Ltd Manufacturers/packers | 46 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 May 2026 |
| The Apiary Cake & Coffee House Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 46 yards away | 4 - Good | 27 May 2026 |
| Istanbul Kebab Takeaway/sandwich shop | 46 yards away | 3 - Generally satisfactory | 20 April 2026 |
| Boots UK Ltd Retailers - other | 46 yards away | Exempt | |
| Harleston Convenience Store Retailers - other | 53 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 November 2024 |
Questions about Marks Cafe
What is Marks Cafe's food hygiene rating?
Marks Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by South Norfolk Council on 20 April 2026.
Is Marks Cafe safe to eat at?
A 3 means the restaurant met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was Marks Cafe last inspected?
Marks Cafe was last inspected on 20 April 2026, 2 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by South Norfolk Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Marks Cafe?
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 "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Marks Cafe compare to other places in South Norfolk?
84% of the 980 rated food businesses in South Norfolk hold the top rating of 5, while Marks Cafe holds a 3. 39 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
South Norfolk Council inspects Marks 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 Marks Cafe and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Marks Cafe is one of 43 rated food businesses in Harleston. See every hygiene rating in Harleston →
South Norfolk inspects and rates 1,103 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in South Norfolk →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.southnorfolkandbroadland.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 →