The Spice Merchant Carrickfergus food hygiene rating
Takeaway/sandwich shop · Mid and East Antrim
The Spice Merchant Carrickfergus holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The takeaway 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 29 January 2026, 5 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: 161 Larne Road, North East Division, Carrickfergus, BT38 7NN
How it compares in Mid and East Antrim
In Mid and East Antrim, 93% of rated places manage a 5, so The Spice Merchant Carrickfergus sits behind roughly 993 nearby businesses. 1% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 936 | 93% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 57 | 6% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 14 | 1% | ← The Spice Merchant Carrickfergus | |
| 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 Generally satisfactory
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- 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 Spice Merchant Carrickfergus 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 Spice Merchant Carrickfergus, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eden Primary School Kitchen School/college/university | 67 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 December 2023 |
| Sense NI Caring Premises | 135 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 March 2025 |
| Cafe2u (oez) Mobile caterer | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 May 2026 |
| Cafe2u (sez) Mobile caterer | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 May 2026 |
| Cafe2u (vez) Mobile caterer | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 May 2026 |
| Hillmount Carrick Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 April 2025 |
| Marisol's Cafe Manufacturers/packers | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 20 March 2025 |
| Kilroot Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 July 2025 |
Questions about The Spice Merchant Carrickfergus
What is The Spice Merchant Carrickfergus's food hygiene rating?
The Spice Merchant Carrickfergus has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Mid and East Antrim Council on 29 January 2026.
Is The Spice Merchant Carrickfergus safe to eat at?
A 3 means the takeaway 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 Spice Merchant Carrickfergus last inspected?
The Spice Merchant Carrickfergus was last inspected on 29 January 2026, 5 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 Spice Merchant Carrickfergus?
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 "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Spice Merchant Carrickfergus 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, while The Spice Merchant Carrickfergus holds a 3. 14 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Mid and East Antrim Council inspects The Spice Merchant Carrickfergus 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 Spice Merchant Carrickfergus 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 Spice Merchant Carrickfergus is one of 942 rated food businesses in Antrim. See every hygiene rating in Antrim →
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 →