5

The Carpenters Arms food hygiene rating

Pub/bar/nightclub · Dorset

The Carpenters Arms holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the pub met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 20 May 2021, more than 5 years ago. A lot can change in a kitchen in that time, and a rating this old says more about the business then than now. Councils prioritise re-inspecting higher-risk premises, so a long gap often means the business is considered low-risk.

Address: The Mermaid Bristol Road, Sherborne, DT9 4JD

How it compares in Dorset

That puts The Carpenters Arms among the 3,808 places in Dorset holding top marks, 95% of everywhere the council rates. A 5 is the norm here rather than the exception, so it is the rating to expect, not to be impressed by.

Every rated food business in Dorset
5 out of 5 3,808 95% ← The Carpenters Arms
4 out of 5 139 3%
3 out of 5 33 1%
2 out of 5 5 <1%
1 out of 5 3 <1%
0 out of 5 0 0%

A further 1,119 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.

What the inspector found

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 Carpenters Arms 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 Carpenters Arms, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
The Mermaid Pub/bar/nightclub at this address 5 - Very good 18 November 2025
The Screaming Bean Takeaway/sandwich shop 91 yards away 5 - Very good 30 April 2024
Pear Tree Nursery Caring Premises 275 yards away 5 - Very good 21 November 2019
Sherborne Learning Centre School/college/university 275 yards away 5 - Very good 13 June 2018
NSP Store Ltd Retailers - other 306 yards away 5 - Very good 20 February 2019
Garden House Rest Home Caring Premises 348 yards away 5 - Very good 19 November 2024
Abbey View Caring Premises 362 yards away 5 - Very good 24 April 2025
Sherborne Primary School School/college/university 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 20 March 2025

Questions about The Carpenters Arms

What is The Carpenters Arms's food hygiene rating?

The Carpenters Arms has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Dorset Council on 20 May 2021.

Is The Carpenters Arms safe to eat at?

The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 5 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this pub to be very good, the top end of the scale.

When was The Carpenters Arms last inspected?

The Carpenters Arms was last inspected on 20 May 2021, more than 5 years ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Dorset Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at The Carpenters Arms?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "very good", and confidence in the management of food safety "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.

How does The Carpenters Arms compare to other places in Dorset?

95% of the 3,988 rated food businesses in Dorset hold the top rating of 5, and The Carpenters Arms is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Dorset Council inspects The Carpenters Arms 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 Carpenters Arms 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 Carpenters Arms is one of 127 rated food businesses in Sherborne. See every hygiene rating in Sherborne

Dorset inspects and rates 5,107 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Dorset

The official record is held by the council: https://www.dorsetcouncil.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 →