Meatox food hygiene rating
Takeaway/sandwich shop · Colchester
Meatox holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the takeaway and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 29 June 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.
Only 1% of rated food businesses in Colchester score 0 to 2 like this, so a low rating here is the exception, not the norm. See all Colchester ratings →
Address: 150 Magdalen Street, Colchester, Essex, CO1 2JX
How this rating has changed
Meatox was re-inspected on 29 June 2026 and held its rating of 1.
| Inspected | Rating | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 29 June 2026 | AwaitingInspection 1 | Held |
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 Colchester
A 1 is rare: only 8 of 1,358 rated places in Colchester score this low, about one in 170. By contrast 90% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,225 | 90% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 75 | 6% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 46 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 2 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 8 | 1% | ← Meatox | |
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 284 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 Meatox 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 Meatox, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aldi Supermarket Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 219 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 October 2024 |
| BHWinnock Store Retailers - other | 235 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 October 2024 |
| Cafe & Ice cream Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 329 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 August 2025 |
| Cafe Lato Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 427 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 February 2025 |
| Ant and Chid Retailers - other | 435 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 June 2026 |
| Choice Foods Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 December 2020 |
| 90 Minutes Restaurant & Lounge Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 30 September 2025 |
| American Candy Shop Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 July 2026 |
Questions about Meatox
What is Meatox's food hygiene rating?
Meatox has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Colchester Council on 29 June 2026.
Is Meatox safe to eat at?
A 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The takeaway 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 Meatox last inspected?
Meatox was last inspected on 29 June 2026, 2 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Colchester Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Meatox?
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 Meatox compare to other places in Colchester?
90% of the 1,358 rated food businesses in Colchester hold the top rating of 5, while Meatox holds a 1. 8 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Colchester Council inspects Meatox 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 Meatox 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 Colchester, 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: Colchester
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Colchester inspects and rates 1,642 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Colchester →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.colchester.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 →