Smiths food hygiene rating
Caring Premises · Epping Forest
Smiths holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the care premises 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 26 August 2025, 10 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: Smiths Fisheries, 42 High Street, Epping, CM16 4AE
How it compares in Epping Forest
In Epping Forest, 84% of rated places manage a 5, so Smiths sits behind roughly 760 nearby businesses. 11% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 760 | 84% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 96 | 11% | ← Smiths | |
| 3 out of 5 | 36 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 7 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 11 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 148 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Good
- How well they manage food safety Generally satisfactory
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 Smiths 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 Smiths, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raj Indian Restaurant Caring Premises | 42 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 December 2025 |
| Swan Chinese Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 42 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 August 2024 |
| Tesco Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 42 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 November 2025 |
| Olive Kitchen Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 51 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 November 2024 |
| Piya Kitchen Ltd Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 83 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 June 2025 |
| The Tower School School/college/university | 99 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 May 2025 |
| Eden Coffee Club Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 126 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 November 2023 |
| Hemnall social club Pub/bar/nightclub | 181 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 August 2025 |
Questions about Smiths
What is Smiths's food hygiene rating?
Smiths has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Epping Forest Council on 26 August 2025.
Is Smiths 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 care premises to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was Smiths last inspected?
Smiths was last inspected on 26 August 2025, 10 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Epping Forest Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Smiths?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Smiths compare to other places in Epping Forest?
84% of the 910 rated food businesses in Epping Forest hold the top rating of 5, while Smiths holds a 4. 96 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Epping Forest Council inspects Smiths 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 Smiths and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Smiths is one of 185 rated food businesses in Epping. See every hygiene rating in Epping →
Epping Forest inspects and rates 1,058 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Epping Forest →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.eppingforestdc.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 →