Harbour Café food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · North Devon
Harbour Café 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
This rating dates from 21 November 2025, but the business has been re-inspected and a new rating is awaiting publication, so the score shown here is about to change.
Address: Harbour Cafe, 3 Borough Road, Combe Martin, EX34 0AN
How it compares in North Devon
A 1 is rare: only 21 of 1,317 rated places in North Devon score this low, about one in 63. By contrast 84% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,107 | 84% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 129 | 10% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 42 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 15 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 21 | 2% | ← Harbour Café | |
| 0 out of 5 | 3 | <1% |
A further 150 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 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 Harbour Café the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled, the condition of the premises and 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 Harbour Café, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combe Martin Farm Shop Retailers - other | 8 yards away | 4 - Good | 3 February 2026 |
| Pasty, Bean and a bit of Ice Cream Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 30 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 July 2024 |
| Seaside Stores Retailers - other | 41 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 February 2020 |
| Black and White Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 46 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 August 2024 |
| Redwood Beach Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 79 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 May 2025 |
| The Focsle Inn Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 79 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 May 2025 |
| John Fowler Holidays Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 109 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 July 2012 |
| Sherwoods Catering Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 109 yards away | Awaiting inspection |
Questions about Harbour Café
What is Harbour Café's food hygiene rating?
Harbour Café has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by North Devon Council on 21 November 2025.
Is Harbour Café 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 Harbour Café last inspected?
Harbour Café was last inspected on 21 November 2025, 7 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by North Devon Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Harbour Café?
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 "major improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Harbour Café compare to other places in North Devon?
84% of the 1,317 rated food businesses in North Devon hold the top rating of 5, while Harbour Café holds a 1. 21 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
North Devon Council inspects Harbour Café 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 Harbour Café 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 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 North Devon, 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: North Devon
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Harbour Café is one of 239 rated food businesses in Ilfracombe. See every hygiene rating in Ilfracombe →
North Devon inspects and rates 1,467 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in North Devon →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.northdevon.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 →