Cottage Bakery food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Central Bedfordshire
Cottage Bakery holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the shop 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 28 February 2025, 16 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: 61-65 Dunstable Street, Ampthill, Bedford, MK45 2NQ
How it compares in Central Bedfordshire
In Central Bedfordshire, 76% of rated places manage a 5, so Cottage Bakery sits behind roughly 1,153 nearby businesses. 17% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,153 | 76% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 254 | 17% | ← Cottage Bakery | |
| 3 out of 5 | 83 | 5% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 18 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 189 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 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 Cottage Bakery 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 Cottage Bakery, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donatello's Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 222 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 July 2025 |
| Fratelli Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 222 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 May 2025 |
| Ampthill Fish Bar Takeaway/sandwich shop | 242 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 February 2026 |
| Eileen's by Steve Barringer Ltd Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 254 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 January 2025 |
| Costa Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 303 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 September 2025 |
| Marv's Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 312 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 May 2025 |
| Big 10 Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 327 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 March 2025 |
| Ampthill Bowls Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 337 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 September 2025 |
Questions about Cottage Bakery
What is Cottage Bakery's food hygiene rating?
Cottage Bakery has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Central Bedfordshire Council on 28 February 2025.
Is Cottage Bakery 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 shop to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was Cottage Bakery last inspected?
Cottage Bakery was last inspected on 28 February 2025, 16 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Central Bedfordshire Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Cottage Bakery?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very 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 Cottage Bakery compare to other places in Central Bedfordshire?
76% of the 1,520 rated food businesses in Central Bedfordshire hold the top rating of 5, while Cottage Bakery holds a 4. 254 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Central Bedfordshire Council inspects Cottage Bakery 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 Cottage Bakery and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Cottage Bakery is one of 56 rated food businesses in Ampthill. See every hygiene rating in Ampthill →
Central Bedfordshire inspects and rates 1,709 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Central Bedfordshire →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.centralbedfordshire.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 →