When you go out for a meal, the least you expect is that the food you are eating has been kept and prepared hygienically.

Thankfully, dozens of Colchester's establishments have excelled in this regard, with many being handed four or five star ratings by the Food Standards Agency so far this year.

The Food Standards Agency, which is an independent government department, was established in 2000 to minimise the number of illnesses caused by poor practice.

Though a poor rating can severely damage a pub or restaurant's reputation, the inspections carried out are thorough and respected, so it is best to take notice of them, good or bad.

Here are all the establishments which have received four or five stars this year when they were inspected by the Food Standards Agency.

 

Restaurants, cafes and canteens

• Rated 5: Tea Rose Cafe at 10 Sir Isaacs Walk, Colchester

• Rated 5: 7 Spices at The New Times, 87 Maldon Road, Tiptree

• Rated 5: Costa at Browning Jo3 Roman Merville Barracks, Colchester

• Rated 5: Main Kitchen at Military Corrective Training Centre, Berechurch Hall Camp, Berechurch Hall Road

• Rated 5: Sgt & Officers Mess Kitchen at Military Corrective Training Centre, Berechurch Hall Camp, Berechurch Hall Road

• Rated 5: Maharani at 102 High Street, Colchester

• Rated 5: Small Talk Tea Room at 27 Eld Lane, Colchester

• Rated 5: Cafe Med at 7 Trinity Street, Colchester

• Rated 5: Loofer's Food & Coffee Place at 1 Culver Street West, Colchester

• Rated 5: Bannatyne Health Club and Spa at Kingsford Park Hotel, Layer Road, Stanway

• Rated 5: Mersea Island Sports Association at Sports Ground, Colchester Road, West Mersea

• Rated 5: The Art Cafe at 2 Coast Road, West Mersea

• Rated 5: Brunch at 8 Middleborough, Colchester

• Rated 5: Func at University Of Essex, Colchester

• Rated 5: Fusion at University Of Essex Wivenhoe Park, Wivenhoe Park

• Rated 5: Stem & Root at University Of Essex, Colchester

• Rated 5: Mumbai Masala at 150 Magdalen Street, Colchester

• Rated 5: Chappells at 65 North Hill, Colchester

• Rated 5: Colchester United Football Club at Weston Homes Community Stadium, United Way, Colchester

• Rated 5: Hot Shots Cafe at Weston Homes Community Stadium, United Way, Colchester

• Rated 5: Timbers at 22 Trinity Street, Colchester

• Rated 5: Cafe at Number 21 at 21 Trinity Street, Colchester

• Rated 5: Patch at Trinity Works, 24 Trinity Street, Colchester

• Rated 5: Rim Jhim Spice at 6-8 Villa Road, Stanway

• Rated 5: CESSAC Community Cafe at Community Centre, Fallowfield Road, Colchester

• Rated 5: ASDA Instore Cafe at Asda Supermarket, Petrolea Close, Colchester

• Rated 5: Officers Mess BO1 Pegasus Camp at Merville Barracks, Circular Road South, Colchester

• Rated 5: WO and Sgts Mess BO2 Pegasus Camp at Merville Barracks, Circular Road South, Colchester

• Rated 5: Poppins at 52-53 High Street, Colchester

• Rated 4: Enny's Grill at CO3

• Rated 2: Bambu at 95 Quayside Drive, Colchester

 

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Pubs, bars and nightclubs

• Rated 5: Hare And Hounds at Garlands Road, Layer Breton

• Rated 5: Donkey And Buskins at High Road, Layer De La Haye

• Rated 5: Mica Centre at 38 High Street, West Mersea

• Rated 5: Highways Social Club at Highways Sports Club, 10 Walsingham Road, Colchester

• Rated 5: The New Town Tavern at Kendall Road, Colchester

• Rated 5: The Ship at 152 Maldon Road, Tiptree

• Rated 5: The Ale House at 82 Butt Road, Colchester

• Rated 5: The Old Crown Inn at Lodge Road, Messing

• Rated 5: The Swan Inn at 285 London Road, Stanway

• Rated 5: The Silver Oyster at Queen Elizabeth Way, Colchester

 

Takeaways

• Rated 5: Wok Star at Shanghai House, 3 Osborne Street, Colchester

• Rated 5: Baba's at Leeds House, 5 Crouch Street East, Colchester

• Rated 5: The Fusion of Spice at 1b Challenge Way, Colchester

• Rated 5: Pizza Night Plus at 2 Lightship Way, Colchester

• Rated 5: Cornish Bakehouse at 12a Culver Street West, Colchester

• Rated 5: Tiptree Bar B Q House at Unit 3, 80 Church Road, Tiptree

• Rated 4: Number34 at 34 North Station Road, Colchester

• Rated 4: Pizza Town at 13 The Centre, New Road, Tiptree