The Merrie Fryer food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Powys
The Merrie Fryer holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the restaurant are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 13 May 2025, 13 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: 38 High Street, Builth Wells, Powys, LD2 3DL
How it compares in Powys
In Powys, 74% of rated places manage a 5, so The Merrie Fryer sits behind roughly 1,715 nearby businesses. 19% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,715 | 74% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 437 | 19% | ← The Merrie Fryer | |
| 3 out of 5 | 91 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 44 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 24 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 3 | <1% |
A further 326 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 Merrie Fryer 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 Merrie Fryer, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Drovers Cafe & Restaurant ltd Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 4 - Good | 28 February 2025 |
| Contis Newsagents Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | Exempt | |
| Georgie Porgies Coffee Stop Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 17 July 2024 |
| White Hart Pub/bar/nightclub | 31 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 February 2019 |
| The Strand Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 36 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 January 2026 |
| The Owls Bed and Breakfast Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 46 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 February 2018 |
| The Root Cellar Retailers - other | 48 yards away | 5 - Very good | 6 April 2022 |
| Heavenly Hampers Takeaway/sandwich shop | 52 yards away | 3 - Generally satisfactory | 23 September 2025 |
Questions about The Merrie Fryer
What is The Merrie Fryer's food hygiene rating?
The Merrie Fryer has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Powys Council on 13 May 2025.
Is The Merrie Fryer 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 restaurant to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Merrie Fryer last inspected?
The Merrie Fryer was last inspected on 13 May 2025, 13 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Powys Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Merrie Fryer?
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 Merrie Fryer compare to other places in Powys?
74% of the 2,314 rated food businesses in Powys hold the top rating of 5, while The Merrie Fryer holds a 4. 437 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Powys Council inspects The Merrie Fryer 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 Merrie Fryer 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 Merrie Fryer is one of 96 rated food businesses in Builth Wells. See every hygiene rating in Builth Wells →
Powys inspects and rates 2,640 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Powys →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.powys.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 →