Balds Lane Fish Bar food hygiene rating
Takeaway/sandwich shop · Dudley
Balds Lane Fish Bar holds a 2, which means some improvement is necessary. The inspector found problems at the takeaway that the business is required to fix.
The rating: 2 - Some improvement necessary
The rating dates from 16 April 2025, 14 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: 4 Balds Lane, Lye, Stourbridge, DY9 8SE
How it compares in Dudley
A 2 is rare: only 37 of 2,160 rated places in Dudley score this low, about one in 58. By contrast 62% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,343 | 62% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 486 | 23% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 249 | 12% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 37 | 2% | ← Balds Lane Fish Bar | |
| 1 out of 5 | 44 | 2% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 503 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 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 Balds Lane Fish Bar the inspector recorded concerns over 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 Balds Lane Fish Bar, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| BP Lye Service Station Retailers - other | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 April 2025 |
| ARC Caring Premises | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 7 October 2019 |
| Chilled Curry Company Retailers - other | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 24 January 2025 |
| Caslon Primary Kitchen School/college/university | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 29 January 2025 |
| Breakfast & After School Clubs School/college/university | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 December 2018 |
| Beecher's Chippy Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 30 March 2025 |
Questions about Balds Lane Fish Bar
What is Balds Lane Fish Bar's food hygiene rating?
Balds Lane Fish Bar has a food hygiene rating of 2 out of 5 (some improvement necessary), given by Dudley Council on 16 April 2025.
Is Balds Lane Fish Bar safe to eat at?
A 2 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The takeaway 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 Balds Lane Fish Bar last inspected?
Balds Lane Fish Bar was last inspected on 16 April 2025, 14 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Dudley Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Balds Lane Fish Bar?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", 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 Balds Lane Fish Bar compare to other places in Dudley?
62% of the 2,160 rated food businesses in Dudley hold the top rating of 5, while Balds Lane Fish Bar holds a 2. 37 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Dudley Council inspects Balds Lane Fish Bar 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 Balds Lane Fish Bar 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 Dudley, 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: Dudley
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Balds Lane Fish Bar is one of 461 rated food businesses in Stourbridge. See every hygiene rating in Stourbridge →
Dudley inspects and rates 2,663 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Dudley →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.dudley.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 →