The Golden Lion food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Mid Devon
The Golden Lion holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The restaurant met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 18 June 2025, 12 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: 72 Exeter Road, Cullompton, Devon, EX15 1DZ
How it compares in Mid Devon
In Mid Devon, 86% of rated places manage a 5, so The Golden Lion sits behind roughly 642 nearby businesses. 4% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 592 | 86% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 50 | 7% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 30 | 4% | ← The Golden Lion | |
| 2 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 86 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Generally satisfactory
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- 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 The Golden Lion 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 The Golden Lion, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Convenience Retailers - other | 116 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 August 2025 |
| Royal Spice Takeaway/sandwich shop | 132 yards away | 3 - Generally satisfactory | 4 December 2024 |
| Bell Inn Pub/bar/nightclub | 196 yards away | 4 - Good | 30 July 2024 |
| Cullompton Pre-School School/college/university | 204 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 February 2025 |
| Culm Valley Sports Centre Retailers - other | 228 yards away | Exempt | |
| Aldi Stores Limited Retailers - other | 277 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 August 2025 |
| Home Bargains Retailers - other | 308 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 March 2019 |
| The Pony & Trap Pub/bar/nightclub | 348 yards away | 5 - Very good | 6 January 2023 |
Questions about The Golden Lion
What is The Golden Lion's food hygiene rating?
The Golden Lion has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Mid Devon Council on 18 June 2025.
Is The Golden Lion safe to eat at?
A 3 means the restaurant met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was The Golden Lion last inspected?
The Golden Lion was last inspected on 18 June 2025, 12 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Mid Devon Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Golden Lion?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Golden Lion compare to other places in Mid Devon?
86% of the 692 rated food businesses in Mid Devon hold the top rating of 5, while The Golden Lion holds a 3. 30 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Mid Devon Council inspects The Golden Lion 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 Golden Lion and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Golden Lion is one of 118 rated food businesses in Cullompton. See every hygiene rating in Cullompton →
Mid Devon inspects and rates 778 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Mid Devon →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.middevon.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 →