Mean Bean food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Northumberland
Mean Bean holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The restaurant met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 18 June 2025, 12 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: 10 Market Street, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 1TL
How it compares in Northumberland
In Northumberland, 90% of rated places manage a 5, so Mean Bean sits behind roughly 2,991 nearby businesses. 2% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 2,778 | 90% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 213 | 7% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 68 | 2% | ← Mean Bean | |
| 2 out of 5 | 8 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 8 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 397 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 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 Mean Bean 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 Mean Bean, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Coffee Alnwick Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 12 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 May 2025 |
| Henry's Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 12 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 December 2024 |
| Sweet Solstice Limited Other catering premises | 45 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 March 2025 |
| Taste of Northumbria Retailers - other | 46 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 May 2025 |
| Melvyn's Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 46 yards away | 5 - Very good | 3 December 2024 |
| Pig in Muck Pub/bar/nightclub | 46 yards away | 5 - Very good | 2 October 2025 |
| Subway Takeaway/sandwich shop | 46 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 January 2025 |
| The Alnwick Gallery Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 46 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 September 2023 |
Questions about Mean Bean
What is Mean Bean's food hygiene rating?
Mean Bean has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Northumberland Council on 18 June 2025.
Is Mean Bean safe to eat at?
A 3 means the restaurant met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was Mean Bean last inspected?
Mean Bean was last inspected on 18 June 2025, 12 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Northumberland Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Mean Bean?
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 "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Mean Bean compare to other places in Northumberland?
90% of the 3,077 rated food businesses in Northumberland hold the top rating of 5, while Mean Bean holds a 3. 68 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Northumberland Council inspects Mean Bean 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 Mean Bean and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Mean Bean is one of 152 rated food businesses in Alnwick. See every hygiene rating in Alnwick →
Northumberland inspects and rates 3,474 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Northumberland →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.northumberland.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 →