Coton Orchard Cafe and Shop food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · South Cambridgeshire
Coton Orchard Cafe and Shop holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the restaurant and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 18 February 2025, 16 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: Coton Orchard Garden Centre Cambridge Road, Coton, CB23 7PJ
How it compares in South Cambridgeshire
A 1 is rare: only 5 of 1,221 rated places in South Cambridgeshire score this low, about one in 244. By contrast 87% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,062 | 87% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 122 | 10% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 25 | 2% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 5 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 5 | <1% | ← Coton Orchard Cafe and Shop | |
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 95 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Good
- How well they manage food safety Major improvement necessary
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 Coton Orchard Cafe and Shop the inspector recorded concerns over confidence in management. Because the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, that is what holds the score down.
Food hygiene ratings nearby
The closest food businesses to Coton Orchard Cafe and Shop, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| B&B and The Wedding Marquee Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 16 September 2023 |
| Cavendish Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 1.0 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 March 2025 |
| Cambridge Lawn Tennis Club Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 1.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 31 March 2021 |
| Churchill College Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 1.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 September 2024 |
| Cantab Catering @ Cambridge University Athletics Track Pavilion Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 1.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 April 2026 |
| Arlington Manor Care Home Caring Premises | 1.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 7 July 2025 |
| Bright Horizons Wolfson Court Day Nursery and Preschool Caring Premises | 1.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 December 2024 |
| Co-Operative Retail Services Ltd Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 1.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 January 2025 |
Questions about Coton Orchard Cafe and Shop
What is Coton Orchard Cafe and Shop's food hygiene rating?
Coton Orchard Cafe and Shop has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by South Cambridgeshire Council on 18 February 2025.
Is Coton Orchard Cafe and Shop safe to eat at?
A 1 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 Coton Orchard Cafe and Shop last inspected?
Coton Orchard Cafe and Shop was last inspected on 18 February 2025, 16 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by South Cambridgeshire Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Coton Orchard Cafe and Shop?
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 "major improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Coton Orchard Cafe and Shop compare to other places in South Cambridgeshire?
87% of the 1,221 rated food businesses in South Cambridgeshire hold the top rating of 5, while Coton Orchard Cafe and Shop holds a 1. 5 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
South Cambridgeshire Council inspects Coton Orchard Cafe and Shop 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 Coton Orchard Cafe and Shop and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Is this your business?
A rating of 1 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 South Cambridgeshire, and it stands until they inspect again. What you can do:
- Fix what the inspector found, then ask the council for a re-inspection. Most charge between £120 and £316, and will not re-visit within three months of the original inspection.
- If you believe the rating is simply wrong, you have 21 days from being notified to appeal to the council. That is 21 calendar days, not working days.
- You may submit a right to reply at any time. It is published alongside the rating, here, and on the FSA's own site.
What a low rating means → · How re-inspections and appeals work →
Your council: South Cambridgeshire
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
South Cambridgeshire inspects and rates 1,316 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in South Cambridgeshire →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.scambs.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 →