The Golden Fish food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Ipswich
The Golden Fish 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
The rating dates from 24 February 2026, 4 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: Unit 3, 482 Woodbridge Road, Ipswich, IP4 4PS
How it compares in Ipswich
A 1 is rare: only 3 of 1,044 rated places in Ipswich score this low, about one in 348. By contrast 95% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 989 | 95% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 41 | 4% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 8 | 1% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 3 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 3 | <1% | ← The Golden Fish | |
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 76 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 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 The Golden Fish the inspector recorded concerns over 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 The Golden Fish, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aspens Services Ltd School/college/university | 252 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 June 2026 |
| Bella Napoli Takeaway/sandwich shop | 382 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 March 2024 |
| Ashcott House Residential Care Home Caring Premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 April 2026 |
| Bake Me Happy Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 19 November 2024 |
| Britannia Primary School School/college/university | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 31 October 2022 |
| Amar Bros Retailers - other | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 February 2016 |
| Amber Mini Market Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 19 February 2026 |
| ABC Pre School Caring Premises | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 3 March 2026 |
Questions about The Golden Fish
What is The Golden Fish's food hygiene rating?
The Golden Fish has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Ipswich Council on 24 February 2026.
Is The Golden Fish 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 The Golden Fish last inspected?
The Golden Fish was last inspected on 24 February 2026, 4 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Ipswich Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Golden Fish?
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 "major improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Golden Fish compare to other places in Ipswich?
95% of the 1,044 rated food businesses in Ipswich hold the top rating of 5, while The Golden Fish holds a 1. 3 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Ipswich Council inspects The Golden Fish 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 Golden Fish 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 Ipswich, 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: Ipswich
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Ipswich inspects and rates 1,120 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Ipswich →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.ipswich.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 →