The Spice Zone food hygiene rating
Takeaway/sandwich shop · Braintree
The Spice Zone 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
The rating dates from 25 March 2025, 15 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: 1C Head Street, Halstead, Essex, CO9 2AT
How it compares in Braintree
In Braintree, 85% of rated places manage a 5, so The Spice Zone sits behind roughly 980 nearby businesses. 11% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 980 | 85% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 125 | 11% | ← The Spice Zone | |
| 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 Good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- 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 Spice Zone 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 Spice Zone, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Shiish Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 64 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 March 2025 |
| HFC Peri Peri Kebab \& Burger Takeaway/sandwich shop | 71 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 November 2025 |
| Double Pistachio Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 83 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 March 2026 |
| The Little Book Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 90 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 October 2024 |
| Braintree Area Foodbank Distributors/Transporters | 102 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 June 2017 |
| Soul Food Takeaway/sandwich shop | 102 yards away | 5 - Very good | 31 July 2023 |
| The Curry Cottage Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 105 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 February 2025 |
| Lipstick And Locks Pub/bar/nightclub | 120 yards away | 5 - Very good | 6 February 2026 |
Questions about The Spice Zone
What is The Spice Zone's food hygiene rating?
The Spice Zone has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Braintree Council on 25 March 2025.
Is The Spice Zone 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 Spice Zone last inspected?
The Spice Zone was last inspected on 25 March 2025, 15 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 Spice Zone?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Spice Zone compare to other places in Braintree?
85% of the 1,156 rated food businesses in Braintree hold the top rating of 5, while The Spice Zone holds a 4. 125 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Braintree Council inspects The Spice Zone 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 Spice Zone 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 Spice Zone 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 →