Shining Lights food hygiene rating

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 13 November 2025, 7 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: 42 Main Street, Ballyclare, Ballyclare, BT39 9AA

How it compares in Antrim and Newtownabbey

That puts Shining Lights among the 849 places in Antrim and Newtownabbey holding top marks, 87% 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 Antrim and Newtownabbey

5 out of 5		849	87%	← Shining Lights
4 out of 5		97	10%
3 out of 5		32	3%
2 out of 5		2	<1%
1 out of 5		1	<1%
0 out of 5		0	0%

A further 116 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.

What the inspector found

• Hygienic food handling Very good
• Cleanliness & condition of the building Very good
• How well they manage food safety Very good

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 Shining Lights 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.

Understanding this rating

• What does a 0 food hygiene rating mean? A 0 means the inspector found serious problems and urgent improvement is necessary. It is the lowest rating the scheme gives, but it is not a closure order, and a business with a 0 can, and usually does, keep trading while it puts things right.
• Does a low hygiene rating mean the food is unsafe? A low rating tells you that an inspector found problems on a particular day. It is not a measurement of the food, it is not a prediction, and it is not a verdict on whether you will get ill. It is the best single signal a member of the public has, and it is a snapshot.
• Does a business have to display its hygiene rating? It depends where you are. In Wales and Northern Ireland a food business must display its rating where you can read it before you go in. In England it is voluntary, a business there can legally show you nothing.

More food hygiene ratings near here

Shining Lights is one of 849 rated food businesses in Antrim. See every hygiene rating in Antrim →

Antrim and Newtownabbey inspects and rates 1,097 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Antrim and Newtownabbey →

The official record is held by the council: http://www.antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk