Ali Taj food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · East Cambridgeshire
Ali Taj holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The restaurant met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 14 July 2025, 11 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: 18 Churchgate Street, Soham, Ely, CB7 5DS
How it compares in East Cambridgeshire
In East Cambridgeshire, 83% of rated places manage a 5, so Ali Taj sits behind roughly 644 nearby businesses. 5% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 579 | 83% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 65 | 9% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 34 | 5% | ← Ali Taj | |
| 2 out of 5 | 14 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 5 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 91 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 Good
- 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 Ali Taj none of the three raised a concern, the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, so a clean sweep is what produces a high score.
Food hygiene ratings nearby
The closest food businesses to Ali Taj, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Fountain Pub/bar/nightclub | at this address | 5 - Very good | 23 January 2024 |
| Aroma Café And Restaurant & Picante Mexican Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 4 - Good | 24 September 2025 |
| Pupa's Shop Ltd (Labas) Retailers - other | at this address | 5 - Very good | 29 May 2026 |
| Domino's Pizza Takeaway/sandwich shop | 67 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 October 2024 |
| Sabro's Mobile caterer | 81 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 November 2025 |
| Soham Comrades Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 88 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 June 2022 |
| The Handy Plaice Takeaway/sandwich shop | 88 yards away | 2 - Some improvement necessary | 27 January 2026 |
| Soham Bowls Club Other catering premises | 178 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 June 2024 |
Questions about Ali Taj
What is Ali Taj's food hygiene rating?
Ali Taj has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by East Cambridgeshire Council on 14 July 2025.
Is Ali Taj safe to eat at?
A 3 means the restaurant met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was Ali Taj last inspected?
Ali Taj was last inspected on 14 July 2025, 11 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by East Cambridgeshire Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Ali Taj?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Ali Taj compare to other places in East Cambridgeshire?
83% of the 697 rated food businesses in East Cambridgeshire hold the top rating of 5, while Ali Taj holds a 3. 34 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
East Cambridgeshire Council inspects Ali Taj 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 Ali Taj and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Ali Taj is one of 418 rated food businesses in Ely. See every hygiene rating in Ely →
East Cambridgeshire inspects and rates 788 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in East Cambridgeshire →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.eastcambs.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 →