HygieneCheck
2

Express cafe food hygiene rating

Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Ceredigion

Express cafe holds a 2, which means some improvement is necessary. The inspector found problems at the restaurant that the business is required to fix.

The rating: 2 - Some improvement necessary

The rating dates from 18 June 2026, 2 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.

Only 4% of rated food businesses in Ceredigion score 0 to 2 like this, so a low rating here is the exception, not the norm. See all Ceredigion ratings →

Address: 10 Alexandra Road, Aberystwyth, SY23 1LE

How this rating has changed

Express cafe has gone backwards: it held a 5 before its inspection on 18 June 2026, and now holds a 2. A rating of 2 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix.

Inspected Rating Change
18 June 2026 5 2 Worse

The FSA publishes only a business's current rating. This history is our own record of what it has scored since we began watching.

How it compares in Ceredigion

A 2 is rare: only 15 of 960 rated places in Ceredigion score this low, about one in 64. By contrast 74% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.

Every rated food business in Ceredigion
5 708 74%
4 158 16%
3 55 6%
2 15 2% ← Express cafe
1 23 2%
0 1 <1%

A further 127 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 Express cafe the inspector recorded concerns over the condition of the premises. Because the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, that is what holds the score down.

What the business says

&lt;p&gt; &lt;strong&gt;I agree with the inspection results but have since carried out the following improvements: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt; &lt;em&gt;The establishment has been thoroughly cleaned&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; &lt;em&gt;The establishment has been or will shortly be fully renovated.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;em&gt;&amp;lsquo;Food Hygiene + Safety Procedures are rated at 5&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;em&gt;The building is awaiting a grant for structural work which we have been downgraded on. We have now completed all works listed and awaiting a re-visit.&amp;#39;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;strong&gt;The conditions found at the time of the inspection were not typical of the normal conditions maintained at the establishment and arose because:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;em&gt;&amp;lsquo;Awaiting grant for works to be done to the building.&amp;rsquo;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Businesses have a right to reply to their rating. This response is published by the Food Standards Agency alongside the score.

Food hygiene ratings nearby

The closest food businesses to Express cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Hoptimist, Aberystwyth Pub/bar/nightclub 20 yards away 5 - Very good 6 August 2024
Carys's Angolino Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 68 yards away 5 - Very good 28 August 2025
Jonah's Fish Market Retailers - other 68 yards away 5 - Very good 11 March 2026
Athro Lounge Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 70 yards away 5 - Very good 19 June 2026
KFC Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 114 yards away 5 - Very good 21 May 2025
Little Devils Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 122 yards away 5 - Very good 20 November 2024
Poundland Retailers - other 141 yards away 5 - Very good 5 February 2018
Porthi Aber Retailers - other 152 yards away 5 - Very good 12 February 2026

Questions about Express cafe

What is Express cafe's food hygiene rating?

Express cafe has a food hygiene rating of 2 out of 5 (some improvement necessary), given by Ceredigion Council on 18 June 2026.

Is Express cafe safe to eat at?

A 2 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The restaurant 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 Express cafe last inspected?

Express cafe was last inspected on 18 June 2026, 2 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Ceredigion Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at Express cafe?

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

How does Express cafe compare to other places in Ceredigion?

74% of the 960 rated food businesses in Ceredigion hold the top rating of 5, while Express cafe holds a 2. 15 places in the area share that rating.

Has Express cafe responded to its rating?

Yes. Businesses have a right to reply, published alongside the rating. Express cafe said: “&lt;p&gt; &lt;strong&gt;I agree with the inspection results but have since carried out the following improvements: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt; &lt;em&gt;The establishment has been thoroughly cleaned&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; &lt;em&gt;The establishment has been or will shortly be fully renovated.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;em&gt;&amp;lsquo;Food Hygiene + Safety Procedures are rated at 5&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;em&gt;The building is awaiting a grant for structural work which we have been downgraded on. We have now completed all works listed and awaiting a re-visit.&amp;#39;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;strong&gt;The conditions found at the time of the inspection were not typical of the normal conditions maintained at the establishment and arose because:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;em&gt;&amp;lsquo;Awaiting grant for works to be done to the building.&amp;rsquo;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;”

Who decides the rating?

Ceredigion Council inspects Express cafe 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 Express cafe 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 2 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 Ceredigion, and it stands until they inspect again. What you can do:

What a low rating means → · How re-inspections and appeals work →

Your council: Ceredigion

Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

Express cafe is one of 241 rated food businesses in Aberystwyth. See every hygiene rating in Aberystwyth →

Ceredigion inspects and rates 1,087 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Ceredigion →

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