Tennessee Express food hygiene rating
Takeaway/sandwich shop · Merton
Tennessee Express holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the takeaway and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 10 February 2026, 5 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: 242 Merton Road, Wimbledon, SW19 1EQ
How it compares in Merton
A 1 is rare: only 11 of 1,267 rated places in Merton score this low, about one in 115. By contrast 82% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,033 | 82% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 171 | 13% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 41 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 11 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 11 | 1% | ← Tennessee Express | |
| 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 Improvement necessary
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Improvement necessary
- How well they manage food safety Major improvement necessary
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 Tennessee Express the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled, the condition of the premises and confidence in management. Because the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, that is what holds the score down.
Food hygiene ratings nearby
The closest food businesses to Tennessee Express, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| After School Club School/college/university | 334 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 November 2024 |
| Antoinette Hotel Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 437 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 January 2024 |
| Bar & Block Steak House Wimbledon Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 August 2025 |
| All Saints Centre Other catering premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 December 2023 |
| Banana Moon Nursery Caring Premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 October 2025 |
| Ban Yai Thai Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 October 2025 |
| Al Forno Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 11 June 2026 |
| Aya Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 September 2024 |
Questions about Tennessee Express
What is Tennessee Express's food hygiene rating?
Tennessee Express has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Merton Council on 10 February 2026.
Is Tennessee Express safe to eat at?
A 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The takeaway is not shut down, a rating is not a closure order, but standards were found to be below what the law expects at the time of inspection.
When was Tennessee Express last inspected?
Tennessee Express was last inspected on 10 February 2026, 5 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 Tennessee Express?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "improvement necessary", and confidence in the management of food safety "major improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Tennessee Express compare to other places in Merton?
82% of the 1,267 rated food businesses in Merton hold the top rating of 5, while Tennessee Express holds a 1. 11 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Merton Council inspects Tennessee Express 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 Tennessee Express and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
Free, for three businesses, forever. No password, we send you a link. How rating alerts work →
Is this your business?
A rating of 1 is public, and most customers look. Only 18% of people say they would order from a business rated 2 or below, against 94% from one rated 4. Delivery platforms may decline to list you.
We cannot change this rating, and nor can you. It was set by an environmental health officer at Merton, and it stands until they inspect again. What you can do:
- Fix what the inspector found, then ask the council for a re-inspection. Most charge between £120 and £316, and will not re-visit within three months of the original inspection.
- If you believe the rating is simply wrong, you have 21 days from being notified to appeal to the council. That is 21 calendar days, not working days.
- You may submit a right to reply at any time. It is published alongside the rating, here, and on the FSA's own site.
What a low rating means → · How re-inspections and appeals work →
Your council: Merton
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Tennessee Express is one of 497 rated food businesses in Wimbledon. See every hygiene rating in Wimbledon →
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 →