The Little Book Cafe food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Braintree
The Little Book 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 25 October 2024, 20 months ago. That is getting on for the longest gap councils usually leave, so the score may not reflect how the business is run today.
Address: 13 - 15 Hedingham Road, Halstead, Essex, CO9 2DA
How it compares in Braintree
That puts The Little Book Cafe among the 980 places in Braintree holding top marks, 85% 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 | 980 | 85% | ← The Little Book Cafe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 125 | 11% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 34 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 8 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 9 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 111 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 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 Little Book 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 Little Book Cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Shiish Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 31 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 March 2025 |
| Lipstick And Locks Pub/bar/nightclub | 68 yards away | 5 - Very good | 6 February 2026 |
| Double Pistachio Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 82 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 March 2026 |
| HFC Peri Peri Kebab \& Burger Takeaway/sandwich shop | 84 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 November 2025 |
| Cafe Bamboo Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 92 yards away | 4 - Good | 30 August 2024 |
| Cinnamon Tree Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 94 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 March 2026 |
| Domino's Pizza Takeaway/sandwich shop | 118 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 June 2026 |
| Halstead Costcutter (Premier) Retailers - other | 118 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 March 2024 |
Questions about The Little Book Cafe
What is The Little Book Cafe's food hygiene rating?
The Little Book Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Braintree Council on 25 October 2024.
Is The Little Book 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 Little Book Cafe last inspected?
The Little Book Cafe was last inspected on 25 October 2024, 20 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Braintree Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Little Book Cafe?
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 "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Little Book Cafe compare to other places in Braintree?
85% of the 1,156 rated food businesses in Braintree hold the top rating of 5, and The Little Book Cafe is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Braintree Council inspects The Little Book 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 Little Book 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 Little Book Cafe is one of 127 rated food businesses in Halstead. See every hygiene rating in Halstead →
Braintree inspects and rates 1,267 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Braintree →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.braintree.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 →