The Happy Chef food hygiene rating
Takeaway/sandwich shop · Lewes
The Happy Chef holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the takeaway are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
This is a fresh result: The Happy Chef was inspected on 19 May 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.
Address: 19 Claremont Road, Seaford, BN25 2PF
How it compares in Lewes
In Lewes, 85% of rated places manage a 5, so The Happy Chef sits behind roughly 740 nearby businesses. 10% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 740 | 85% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 89 | 10% | ← The Happy Chef | |
| 3 out of 5 | 25 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 4 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 11 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 90 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Very good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Good
- 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 The Happy Chef 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 Happy Chef, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angies Newsagents Retailers - other | 15 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 February 2025 |
| R&B Fish Bar Takeaway/sandwich shop | 22 yards away | 5 - Very good | 3 July 2024 |
| Costcutter Claremont Retailers - other | 36 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 March 2025 |
| Holmes Lodge Guest House Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 128 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 June 2023 |
| Grubs Up Other catering premises | 151 yards away | 5 - Very good | 13 August 2025 |
| Clifden House Caring Premises | 245 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 May 2026 |
| Nova House Caring Premises | 269 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 December 2025 |
| Maldon House Caring Premises | 273 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 January 2026 |
Questions about The Happy Chef
What is The Happy Chef's food hygiene rating?
The Happy Chef has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Lewes Council on 19 May 2026.
Is The Happy Chef 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 takeaway to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Happy Chef last inspected?
The Happy Chef was last inspected on 19 May 2026, a month ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Lewes Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Happy Chef?
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 "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Happy Chef compare to other places in Lewes?
85% of the 870 rated food businesses in Lewes hold the top rating of 5, while The Happy Chef holds a 4. 89 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Lewes Council inspects The Happy Chef 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 Happy Chef 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 Happy Chef is one of 148 rated food businesses in Seaford. See every hygiene rating in Seaford →
Lewes inspects and rates 960 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Lewes →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.lewes-eastbourne.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 →