5

Cafe 709 food hygiene rating

Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Southend-On-Sea

Cafe 709 holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the restaurant met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 23 April 2025, 14 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: 709 Southchurch Road, Southend-On-Sea, Essex, SS1 2PW

How it compares in Southend-On-Sea

That puts Cafe 709 among the 973 places in Southend-On-Sea holding top marks, 70% 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 Southend-On-Sea
5 out of 5 973 70% ← Cafe 709
4 out of 5 243 18%
3 out of 5 119 9%
2 out of 5 35 3%
1 out of 5 16 1%
0 out of 5 1 <1%

A further 105 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 Cafe 709 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 Cafe 709, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Best One Retailers - other 202 yards away 5 - Very good 8 October 2024
Byers Bakery Ltd Retailers - other 0.4 miles away 5 - Very good 16 April 2025
Centre Place Family Centre Nursery Caring Premises 0.5 miles away 5 - Very good 10 November 2025
Abbottswood Lodge Caring Premises 0.6 miles away 5 - Very good 16 March 2026
Best One Retailers - other 0.6 miles away 5 - Very good 24 September 2025
ChicKing Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 0.7 miles away 5 - Very good 15 March 2025
Billy Hundreds Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 0.8 miles away 5 - Very good 8 July 2024
140 Eastern Esplanade Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 0.8 miles away 5 - Very good 15 May 2026

Questions about Cafe 709

What is Cafe 709's food hygiene rating?

Cafe 709 has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Southend-On-Sea Council on 23 April 2025.

Is Cafe 709 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 restaurant to be very good, the top end of the scale.

When was Cafe 709 last inspected?

Cafe 709 was last inspected on 23 April 2025, 14 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Southend-On-Sea Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at Cafe 709?

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

How does Cafe 709 compare to other places in Southend-On-Sea?

70% of the 1,387 rated food businesses in Southend-On-Sea hold the top rating of 5, and Cafe 709 is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Southend-On-Sea Council inspects Cafe 709 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 Cafe 709 and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

Southend-On-Sea inspects and rates 1,492 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Southend-On-Sea

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