The Rat's Castle food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Guildford
The Rat's Castle holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the pub are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 5 September 2025, 10 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: 80 Sydenham Road, Guildford, GU1 3SA
How it compares in Guildford
In Guildford, 82% of rated places manage a 5, so The Rat's Castle sits behind roughly 821 nearby businesses. 14% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 821 | 82% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 141 | 14% | ← The Rat's Castle | |
| 3 out of 5 | 37 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 5 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 3 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 132 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Very good
- 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 Rat's Castle 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 Rat's Castle, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Co-operative Group Retailers - other | 90 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 February 2025 |
| Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 91 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 June 2023 |
| Dolce & Salato Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 166 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 April 2024 |
| Compass at Mount Alvernia Hospital Caring Premises | 244 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 March 2025 |
| Art & Grind Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 329 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 April 2024 |
| Blue Sardinia Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 363 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 October 2025 |
| Castle Garden School School/college/university | 364 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 February 2026 |
| Cosy Club Guildford Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 437 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 April 2026 |
Questions about The Rat's Castle
What is The Rat's Castle's food hygiene rating?
The Rat's Castle has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Guildford Council on 5 September 2025.
Is The Rat's Castle safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this pub to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Rat's Castle last inspected?
The Rat's Castle was last inspected on 5 September 2025, 10 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Guildford Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Rat's Castle?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", 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 Rat's Castle compare to other places in Guildford?
82% of the 1,007 rated food businesses in Guildford hold the top rating of 5, while The Rat's Castle holds a 4. 141 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Guildford Council inspects The Rat's Castle 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 Rat's Castle and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Guildford inspects and rates 1,139 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Guildford →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.guildford.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 →