5

Esca food hygiene rating

Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Torbay

Esca holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the restaurant met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 11 September 2025, 10 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: 14-16 Middle Street Brixham, TQ5 8ER

How it compares in Torbay

That puts Esca among the 934 places in Torbay holding top marks, 81% of everywhere the council rates. A 5 is the norm here rather than the exception, so it is the rating to expect, not to be impressed by.

Every rated food business in Torbay
5 out of 5 934 81% ← Esca
4 out of 5 142 12%
3 out of 5 39 3%
2 out of 5 11 1%
1 out of 5 29 3%
0 out of 5 3 <1%

A further 364 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.

What the inspector found

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 Esca 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 Esca, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Lucky Boat Takeaway/sandwich shop 17 yards away 5 - Very good 1 July 2026
High Tide Fisheries Retailers - other 24 yards away 5 - Very good 26 February 2026
Flour Flower Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 40 yards away 5 - Very good 12 June 2026
Brixham Maid Retailers - other 41 yards away 5 - Very good 30 April 2025
The Wine Loft Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 79 yards away 5 - Very good 27 February 2026
Costa Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 92 yards away 5 - Very good 5 June 2024
Spar - Wessex Retail Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets 93 yards away 5 - Very good 7 January 2025
The Middle Street Bagel Co. Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 98 yards away 5 - Very good 25 March 2025

Questions about Esca

What is Esca's food hygiene rating?

Esca has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Torbay Council on 11 September 2025.

Is Esca safe to eat at?

The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 5 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this restaurant to be very good, the top end of the scale.

When was Esca last inspected?

Esca was last inspected on 11 September 2025, 10 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Torbay Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at Esca?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.

How does Esca compare to other places in Torbay?

81% of the 1,158 rated food businesses in Torbay hold the top rating of 5, and Esca is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Torbay Council inspects Esca 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 Esca 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 →

Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

Torbay inspects and rates 1,522 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Torbay

The official record is held by the council: http://www.torbay.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 →