5

The Mess Tin food hygiene rating

Mobile caterer · Portsmouth

The Mess Tin holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the mobile caterer met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 10 October 2017, more than 8 years ago. A lot can change in a kitchen in that time, and a rating this old says more about the business then than now. Councils prioritise re-inspecting higher-risk premises, so a long gap often means the business is considered low-risk.

How it compares in Portsmouth

That puts The Mess Tin among the 978 places in Portsmouth holding top marks, 64% 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 Portsmouth
5 out of 5 978 64% ← The Mess Tin
4 out of 5 310 20%
3 out of 5 124 8%
2 out of 5 67 4%
1 out of 5 53 3%
0 out of 5 2 <1%

A further 269 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 The Mess Tin 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.

Questions about The Mess Tin

What is The Mess Tin's food hygiene rating?

The Mess Tin has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Portsmouth Council on 10 October 2017.

Is The Mess Tin 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 mobile caterer to be very good, the top end of the scale.

When was The Mess Tin last inspected?

The Mess Tin was last inspected on 10 October 2017, more than 8 years ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Portsmouth Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at The Mess Tin?

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 "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.

How does The Mess Tin compare to other places in Portsmouth?

64% of the 1,534 rated food businesses in Portsmouth hold the top rating of 5, and The Mess Tin is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Portsmouth Council inspects The Mess Tin 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 The Mess Tin and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

Portsmouth inspects and rates 1,803 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Portsmouth

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