Smiley's Plaice food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Somerset
Smiley's Plaice 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 23 September 2024, 21 months ago. That is getting on for the longest gap councils usually leave, so the score may not reflect how the business is run today.
Address: 12b East Reach, Taunton, TA1 3EW
How it compares in Somerset
In Somerset, 87% of rated places manage a 5, so Smiley's Plaice sits behind roughly 5,366 nearby businesses. 2% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 4,825 | 87% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 541 | 10% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 92 | 2% | ← Smiley's Plaice | |
| 2 out of 5 | 26 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 31 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 557 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 Smiley's Plaice 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 Smiley's Plaice, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chopsticks Asian Food Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 64 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 May 2025 |
| Domino's Pizza Takeaway/sandwich shop | 73 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 February 2025 |
| Canton Takeaway Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 211 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 December 2025 |
| Continue Arcades Other catering premises | 214 yards away | 5 - Very good | 3 December 2025 |
| Doner & Gyros Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 274 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 April 2026 |
| Chuggers Day Nursery Caring Premises | 276 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 July 2024 |
| Costa Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 331 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 July 2025 |
| Eastside Canteen Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 410 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 December 2025 |
Questions about Smiley's Plaice
What is Smiley's Plaice's food hygiene rating?
Smiley's Plaice has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Somerset Council on 23 September 2024.
Is Smiley's Plaice 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 Smiley's Plaice last inspected?
Smiley's Plaice was last inspected on 23 September 2024, 21 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Somerset Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Smiley's Plaice?
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 Smiley's Plaice compare to other places in Somerset?
87% of the 5,515 rated food businesses in Somerset hold the top rating of 5, while Smiley's Plaice holds a 3. 92 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Somerset Council inspects Smiley's Plaice 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 Smiley's Plaice and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Smiley's Plaice is one of 639 rated food businesses in Taunton. See every hygiene rating in Taunton →
Somerset inspects and rates 6,072 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Somerset →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.somerset.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 →