5

The Stepping Stones food hygiene rating

Pub/bar/nightclub · Mole Valley

The Stepping Stones 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 4 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: The Stepping Stones (Ph), Westhumble Street, RH5 6BS

How it compares in Mole Valley

That puts The Stepping Stones among the 648 places in Mole Valley holding top marks, 91% 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 Mole Valley
5 out of 5 648 91% ← The Stepping Stones
4 out of 5 39 6%
3 out of 5 11 2%
2 out of 5 7 1%
1 out of 5 2 <1%
0 out of 5 2 <1%

A further 88 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 Stepping Stones 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 Stepping Stones, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Burford Bridge Hotel Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house 246 yards away 5 - Very good 28 April 2026
Chimney Fire Coffee Importers/Exporters 0.5 miles away 5 - Very good 21 May 2026
Denbies Hotel Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house 0.5 miles away 5 - Very good 25 November 2024
Dorking Distillery Manufacturers/packers 0.5 miles away 5 - Very good 11 December 2025
Box Hill Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 0.6 miles away 5 - Very good 19 June 2025
Field Studies Council School/college/university 0.6 miles away 5 - Very good 11 June 2026
Busy Bees at Dorking Chichester Road School/college/university 0.7 miles away 5 - Very good 8 May 2026
Dorking Cricket Club Other catering premises 0.8 miles away 5 - Very good 12 February 2026

Questions about The Stepping Stones

What is The Stepping Stones's food hygiene rating?

The Stepping Stones has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Mole Valley Council on 4 September 2025.

Is The Stepping Stones 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 Stepping Stones last inspected?

The Stepping Stones was last inspected on 4 September 2025, 10 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Mole Valley Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at The Stepping Stones?

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

How does The Stepping Stones compare to other places in Mole Valley?

91% of the 709 rated food businesses in Mole Valley hold the top rating of 5, and The Stepping Stones is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Mole Valley Council inspects The Stepping Stones 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 Stepping Stones 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 →

Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

Mole Valley inspects and rates 797 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Mole Valley

The official record is held by the council: http://www.molevalley.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 →