5

The Bell food hygiene rating

Pub/bar/nightclub · Brentwood

The Bell holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the pub met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 12 December 2025, 7 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: The Bell Public House, High Street, Ingatestone and Fryerning, CM4 0AT

How it compares in Brentwood

That puts The Bell among the 553 places in Brentwood holding top marks, 83% 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.

Every rated food business in Brentwood
5 out of 5 553 83% ← The Bell
4 out of 5 63 10%
3 out of 5 40 6%
2 out of 5 1 <1%
1 out of 5 6 1%
0 out of 5 0 0%

A further 89 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.

What the inspector found

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 Bell 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 Bell, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Mini Moments Nursery Caring Premises 32 yards away 5 - Very good 26 March 2026
Noka By Coriander Other catering premises 48 yards away 5 - Very good 4 April 2025
Patrick Green Limited Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 54 yards away 5 - Very good 27 June 2022
The Ginger Tree Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 81 yards away 5 - Very good 14 August 2018
Galvins Family Butchers Retailers - other 131 yards away 5 - Very good 21 January 2021
Stones Pizza And Restaurant Other catering premises 131 yards away 5 - Very good 13 March 2026
Budgens Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets 191 yards away 5 - Very good 12 October 2022
Ravens Bakery Essex Limited Manufacturers/packers 191 yards away 5 - Very good 17 February 2024

Questions about The Bell

What is The Bell's food hygiene rating?

The Bell has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Brentwood Council on 12 December 2025.

Is The Bell 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 pub to be very good, the top end of the scale.

When was The Bell last inspected?

The Bell was last inspected on 12 December 2025, 7 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Brentwood Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at The Bell?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "very good", and confidence in the management of food safety "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.

How does The Bell compare to other places in Brentwood?

83% of the 663 rated food businesses in Brentwood hold the top rating of 5, and The Bell is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Brentwood Council inspects The Bell 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 Bell 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 Bell is one of 43 rated food businesses in Ingatestone. See every hygiene rating in Ingatestone

Brentwood inspects and rates 752 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Brentwood

The official record is held by the council: http://www.brentwood.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 →