Top Chef food hygiene rating
Takeaway/sandwich shop · Cheshire West and Chester
Top Chef 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 9 April 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: 119 Runcorn Road, Barnton, Northwich, CW8 4EX
How it compares in Cheshire West and Chester
A 1 is rare: only 37 of 2,664 rated places in Cheshire West and Chester score this low, about one in 72. By contrast 80% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 2,139 | 80% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 308 | 12% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 145 | 5% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 33 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 37 | 1% | ← Top Chef | |
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 309 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 Generally satisfactory
- 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 Top Chef the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled 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 Top Chef, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Co-op Retailers - other | 277 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 June 2021 |
| Growing Minds Childcare Ltd Caring Premises | 337 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 May 2026 |
| Barnton Before After School Club School/college/university | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 July 2025 |
| Barnton Community Nursery & Primary School School/college/university | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 28 April 2026 |
| Barnton Cricket Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 August 2024 |
| Catering Duo Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 August 2024 |
| Co-op Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 July 2025 |
| Domino's Pizza Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 February 2026 |
Questions about Top Chef
What is Top Chef's food hygiene rating?
Top Chef has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Cheshire West and Chester Council on 9 April 2025.
Is Top Chef 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 Top Chef last inspected?
Top Chef was last inspected on 9 April 2025, 15 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Cheshire West and Chester Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Top Chef?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", 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 Top Chef compare to other places in Cheshire West and Chester?
80% of the 2,664 rated food businesses in Cheshire West and Chester hold the top rating of 5, while Top Chef holds a 1. 37 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Cheshire West and Chester Council inspects Top Chef 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 Top Chef 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 Cheshire West and Chester, 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: Cheshire West and Chester
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Top Chef is one of 494 rated food businesses in Northwich. See every hygiene rating in Northwich →
Cheshire West and Chester inspects and rates 2,973 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Cheshire West and Chester →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.cheshirewestandchester.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 →