The Fish Shed food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · East Devon
The Fish Shed holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the shop and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 7 August 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: Darts Farm Shopping Village, Clyst St George, Exeter, EX3 0QH
How it compares in East Devon
A 1 is rare: only 13 of 1,303 rated places in East Devon score this low, about one in 100. By contrast 84% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,093 | 84% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 125 | 10% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 58 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 14 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 13 | 1% | ← The Fish Shed | |
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 248 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety Major improvement necessary
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 Fish Shed the inspector recorded concerns over confidence in management. 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 The Fish Shed, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cow & Cacao Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 12 March 2026 |
| Darts Farm Shopping Village (Restaurant) Retailers - other | at this address | 5 - Very good | 5 February 2026 |
| St George And Dragon Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 254 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 October 2025 |
| Four Chimneys Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 320 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 January 2016 |
| Bridge Inn Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 December 2024 |
| Devon Norse Ltd (Lady Seawards Primary) School/college/university | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 July 2026 |
| Route 2 Café & Apartments Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 April 2025 |
| Country Cheeses Retailers - other | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 19 March 2025 |
Questions about The Fish Shed
What is The Fish Shed's food hygiene rating?
The Fish Shed has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by East Devon Council on 7 August 2025.
Is The Fish Shed safe to eat at?
A 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The shop 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 The Fish Shed last inspected?
The Fish Shed was last inspected on 7 August 2025, 11 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by East Devon Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Fish Shed?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "major improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Fish Shed compare to other places in East Devon?
84% of the 1,303 rated food businesses in East Devon hold the top rating of 5, while The Fish Shed holds a 1. 13 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
East Devon Council inspects The Fish Shed 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 Fish Shed 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 1 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 East Devon, 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: East Devon
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Fish Shed is one of 153 rated food businesses in Exeter. See every hygiene rating in Exeter →
East Devon inspects and rates 1,551 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in East Devon →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.eastdevon.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 →