The Secret Garden Cafe food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Mid and East Antrim
The Secret Garden Cafe holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the restaurant met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
The rating dates from 18 November 2024, 19 months ago. That is getting on for the longest gap councils usually leave, so the score may not reflect how the business is run today.
Address: The Ecos Centre Kernohans Lane, Ballymena, BT43 7QA
How it compares in Mid and East Antrim
That puts The Secret Garden Cafe among the 936 places in Mid and East Antrim holding top marks, 93% 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.
| 5 out of 5 | 936 | 93% | ← The Secret Garden Cafe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 57 | 6% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 14 | 1% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 4 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 0 | 0% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 147 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 Good
- How well they manage food safety 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 The Secret Garden Cafe 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 Secret Garden Cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cafe Nico at Castle Tower School Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 January 2025 |
| Castletower Campus School/college/university | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 27 March 2025 |
| Ballymena Nursery School Caring Premises | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 13 September 2024 |
| Ballykeel (Surestart) Creche Caring Premises | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 May 2024 |
| Ballykeel 2000 Community Centre Other catering premises | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 September 2025 |
| Ballykeel Primary School & Nursery Unit School/college/university | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 16 September 2025 |
| Ballymena and Little Steps Surestart Caring Premises | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 May 2024 |
| Crosskeys Meats Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 16 June 2026 |
Questions about The Secret Garden Cafe
What is The Secret Garden Cafe's food hygiene rating?
The Secret Garden Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Mid and East Antrim Council on 18 November 2024.
Is The Secret Garden Cafe safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 5 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this restaurant to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Secret Garden Cafe last inspected?
The Secret Garden Cafe was last inspected on 18 November 2024, 19 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Mid and East Antrim Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Secret Garden Cafe?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Secret Garden Cafe compare to other places in Mid and East Antrim?
93% of the 1,011 rated food businesses in Mid and East Antrim hold the top rating of 5, and The Secret Garden Cafe is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Mid and East Antrim Council inspects The Secret Garden Cafe 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 Secret Garden Cafe and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
Free, for three businesses, forever. No password, we send you a link. How rating alerts work →
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Mid and East Antrim inspects and rates 1,158 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Mid and East Antrim →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.midandeastantrim.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 →