Carols Cafe food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Doncaster
Carols Cafe 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 21 January 2025, 17 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: The Corn Exchange Market Place, Doncaster, DN1 1NF
How it compares in Doncaster
A 2 is rare: only 45 of 2,557 rated places in Doncaster score this low, about one in 57. By contrast 73% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,867 | 73% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 383 | 15% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 183 | 7% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 45 | 2% | ← Carols Cafe | |
| 1 out of 5 | 73 | 3% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 6 | <1% |
A further 264 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 Generally satisfactory
- 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 Carols Cafe the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled. Because the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, that is what holds the score down.
Questions about Carols Cafe
What is Carols Cafe's food hygiene rating?
Carols Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 2 out of 5 (some improvement necessary), given by Doncaster Council on 21 January 2025.
Is Carols Cafe 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 Carols Cafe last inspected?
Carols Cafe was last inspected on 21 January 2025, 17 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Doncaster Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Carols Cafe?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Carols Cafe compare to other places in Doncaster?
73% of the 2,557 rated food businesses in Doncaster hold the top rating of 5, while Carols Cafe holds a 2. 45 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Doncaster Council inspects Carols 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 Carols Cafe and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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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 Doncaster, 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: Doncaster
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Doncaster inspects and rates 2,821 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Doncaster →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.doncaster.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 →