Swallow Aquatics and The Kingfisher food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Colchester
Swallow Aquatics and The Kingfisher holds a 2, which means some improvement is necessary. The inspector found problems at the restaurant that the business is required to fix.
The rating: 2 - Some improvement necessary
The rating dates from 23 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: Mill Race Nursery, New Road, Aldham, CO6 3QT
How it compares in Colchester
A 2 is rare: only 5 of 1,349 rated places in Colchester score this low, about one in 270. By contrast 89% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,200 | 89% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 83 | 6% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 50 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 5 | <1% | ← Swallow Aquatics and The Kingfisher | |
| 1 out of 5 | 9 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 302 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Improvement necessary
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Improvement necessary
- 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 Swallow Aquatics and The Kingfisher the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled and the condition of the premises. 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 Swallow Aquatics and The Kingfisher, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mill Race Garden Centre Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 12 October 2023 |
| Shoulder of Mutton Tea Room Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 January 2025 |
| Happy Fries Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 February 2024 |
| The Horsebox Mobile caterer | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 August 2025 |
| John Owen Barn Other catering premises | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 31 January 2025 |
Questions about Swallow Aquatics and The Kingfisher
What is Swallow Aquatics and The Kingfisher's food hygiene rating?
Swallow Aquatics and The Kingfisher has a food hygiene rating of 2 out of 5 (some improvement necessary), given by Colchester Council on 23 June 2025.
Is Swallow Aquatics and The Kingfisher safe to eat at?
A 2 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 Swallow Aquatics and The Kingfisher last inspected?
Swallow Aquatics and The Kingfisher was last inspected on 23 June 2025, 12 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Colchester Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Swallow Aquatics and The Kingfisher?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "improvement necessary", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Swallow Aquatics and The Kingfisher compare to other places in Colchester?
89% of the 1,349 rated food businesses in Colchester hold the top rating of 5, while Swallow Aquatics and The Kingfisher holds a 2. 5 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Colchester Council inspects Swallow Aquatics and The Kingfisher 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 Swallow Aquatics and The Kingfisher 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 →
Is this your business?
A rating of 2 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 Colchester, 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: Colchester
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Colchester inspects and rates 1,651 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Colchester →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.colchester.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 →