27 of the 31 food hygiene ratings given in Brentwood in September were fives. The High Street Subway rose from 1 to 4, but the Shenfield branch was rated 1.
Brentwood borough’s food inspectors handed out 31 hygiene ratings in September, and 27 of them were the top score of 5. Only one business was rated below 3.
That one is the Subway at 232 Hutton Road, Shenfield, rated 1 out of 5 on 1 September. The other Subway in the borough, on Brentwood High Street, went the other way. It was rated 1 in August and was re-rated 4 on 30 September.
The figures come from the Food Standards Agency register for Brentwood Borough Council, read on 3 October. They cover every premises whose current rating is dated September 2026.
The two Subways
The High Street branch at 102 High Street is up from 1 to 4. When we looked at the borough’s low ratings last month, this was the business we used as the example. Its August inspection gave it 5 for food handling, 10 for the building and 20, “major improvement necessary”, for the management of food safety. The kitchen was not the problem; the paperwork and systems were. Seven weeks later it has a 4. The FSA has not yet published the area scores behind the new rating (FSA record, Subway, 102 High Street).
The Shenfield branch at 232 Hutton Road is a different case. Its three area scores on 1 September were:
- food hygiene and safety: 15, which the FSA describes as “improvement necessary”
- structure of the building: 10, “generally satisfactory”
- management of food safety: 20, “major improvement necessary”
That adds up to 45, which puts it in the band for a 1. Unlike the High Street branch, the inspector marked it down on how food was handled as well as on management (FSA record, Subway, 232 Hutton Road).
A business can appeal its rating within 21 days, ask for a re-inspection once it has made improvements, and publish a right to reply on the FSA website. The High Street branch shows how quickly a re-inspection can move a rating.
Everyone else rated in September
Two premises were rated 4: Hill Bakes, a CM14 caterer listed without a street address, and the High Street Subway. The Boars Head on Billericay Road, Herongate, was rated 3, scoring 10, “generally satisfactory”, in all three areas (FSA record).
The 27 premises rated 5 were:
Restaurants, cafes and takeaways
- KFC, 10 High Street, Brentwood
- Eigh Tea 9, 89 High Street, Brentwood
- Eastern Oriental Chinese Restaurant, 67A High Street, Brentwood
- Cass S Kitchen, 25 Kings Road, Brentwood
- Masons Restaurant, 155 to 157 Ingrave Road, Brentwood
- Tennessee Chicken, 20 Warley Hill
- Mezra, at the Horse and Groom, Warley Road, Great Warley
- Starbucks, Southend Arterial Road, West Horndon
- Brook Street Diner, a mobile caterer registered at 67 to 69 Brook Street
Schools, nurseries and care
- Doddinghurst Infant School, Church Lane, Doddinghurst
- Holroyd Howe at Brentwood Preparatory School, Shenfield Road
- Hatchlings Day Nursery, 20 Hatch Road, Pilgrims Hatch
- Wright Start Day Nurseries, 52 Fryerning Lane, Ingatestone
- Montbazon Court, Cleves Avenue, Brentwood
Shops
- Hunters Chase Farm Shop, at Hunters Chase Garden Centre, Hutton
- Shell Little Waitrose South Weald, Brook Street
- 24 Eleven Inclusive Futures CIC, Hubert Road, Brentwood
Small caterers and bakers listed without a street address
- Hutton Sourdough and The Good Bakery (CM13)
- Little Dots Essex (CM13)
- Charlies Cakes, JLdessertstudio, Velvet Crumb and Leio Health (CM14)
- Cherry Cottage Cakes, JPG Private Dining and Bommis Brentwood Kitchen (CM15)
The FSA does not publish a street address for these, which is its usual practice for food businesses run from a private home. Only the postcode district is shown.
How the borough compares
Across the whole register, 571 of the 686 rated premises in Brentwood borough hold a 5, about 83%. Eight hold a 1, and none holds a 0 or a 2. The Shenfield Subway is one of the eight; the High Street branch has now left that list.
What it means for you
- Check before you order. Every rating is on the FSA ratings site, and businesses are encouraged, but in England not required, to display their sticker.
- A 1 is not a closure. Inspectors close premises only when there is an imminent risk to health. A 1 means “major improvement necessary”, and the business stays open while it makes the changes.
- Ratings move. The High Street Subway went from 1 to 4 in seven weeks. A low rating today can be gone by the next visit.
Our guide to Brentwood’s food hygiene ratings explains how the three scores turn into a rating, and why most low ratings in the borough come from the management score rather than a dirty kitchen.
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