The Highway Cafe food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Merton
The Highway Cafe 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 7 August 2025, 11 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: 161 Burlington Road, New Malden, KT3 4LU
How it compares in Merton
That puts The Highway Cafe among the 1,033 places in Merton holding top marks, 82% 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.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,033 | 82% | ← The Highway Cafe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 171 | 13% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 41 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 11 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 11 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 275 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 Good
- 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 Highway 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 The Highway Cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acorns After School Club Juniors School/college/university | 182 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 February 2025 |
| Acorns After School Club Infants And Nursery School/college/university | 225 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 February 2025 |
| 601 PM/Malden Pocha Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 February 2025 |
| Afterschool Club Other catering premises | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 March 2024 |
| Bang Bang Burger Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 16 June 2026 |
| Alreem Lebanese Cuisine Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 3 October 2025 |
| Acacia Pre-School Caring Premises | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 13 November 2025 |
| AELTC Community Tennis Centre Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 11 April 2024 |
Questions about The Highway Cafe
What is The Highway Cafe's food hygiene rating?
The Highway Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Merton Council on 7 August 2025.
Is The Highway Cafe 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 The Highway Cafe last inspected?
The Highway Cafe was last inspected on 7 August 2025, 11 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Merton Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Highway Cafe?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "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 The Highway Cafe compare to other places in Merton?
82% of the 1,267 rated food businesses in Merton hold the top rating of 5, and The Highway Cafe is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Merton Council inspects The Highway 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 The Highway 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
The Highway Cafe is one of 44 rated food businesses in New Malden. See every hygiene rating in New Malden →
Merton inspects and rates 1,542 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Merton →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.merton.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 →