The Old Fire Engine House food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · East Cambridgeshire
The Old Fire Engine House 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 11 March 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: 25 St Marys Street, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB7 4ER
How it compares in East Cambridgeshire
In East Cambridgeshire, 83% of rated places manage a 5, so The Old Fire Engine House 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% | ← The Old Fire Engine House | |
| 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 The Old Fire Engine House 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 The Old Fire Engine House, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| King's Ely Sixth Form School/college/university | 70 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 June 2026 |
| Hadi's Retailers - other | 115 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 June 2026 |
| Lamb Hotel Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 121 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 October 2024 |
| LuvEly Social Club Other catering premises | 125 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 January 2025 |
| New Dragon Inn Takeaway/sandwich shop | 141 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 July 2024 |
| Caffe Nero Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 161 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 February 2025 |
| LuvEly Community Fridge Distributors/Transporters | 169 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 February 2025 |
| Co-op Retailers - other | 189 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 October 2024 |
Questions about The Old Fire Engine House
What is The Old Fire Engine House's food hygiene rating?
The Old Fire Engine House has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by East Cambridgeshire Council on 11 March 2026.
Is The Old Fire Engine House 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 The Old Fire Engine House last inspected?
The Old Fire Engine House was last inspected on 11 March 2026, 4 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 The Old Fire Engine House?
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 The Old Fire Engine House compare to other places in East Cambridgeshire?
83% of the 697 rated food businesses in East Cambridgeshire hold the top rating of 5, while The Old Fire Engine House holds a 3. 34 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
East Cambridgeshire Council inspects The Old Fire Engine House 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 Old Fire Engine House and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Old Fire Engine House 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 →