5

The Dolphin food hygiene rating

Pub/bar/nightclub · West Berkshire

The Dolphin 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 7 November 2024, 20 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: 113 Bartholomew Street, Newbury, RG14 5DT

How it compares in West Berkshire

That puts The Dolphin among the 932 places in West Berkshire holding top marks, 86% 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 West Berkshire
5 out of 5 932 86% ← The Dolphin
4 out of 5 93 9%
3 out of 5 46 4%
2 out of 5 12 1%
1 out of 5 6 1%
0 out of 5 1 <1%

A further 163 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 Dolphin 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 Dolphin, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Fit Cookie Retailers - other 20 yards away 5 - Very good 11 October 2022
Le Otto Campane Takeaway/sandwich shop 60 yards away 5 - Very good 5 March 2025
Cow & Cask Pub/bar/nightclub 69 yards away 5 - Very good 11 December 2014
Caprinos Pizza Takeaway/sandwich shop 160 yards away 5 - Very good 16 February 2026
Hetherton of Berkshire Retailers - other 166 yards away 5 - Very good 23 July 2024
China Garden Takeaway/sandwich shop 217 yards away 5 - Very good 27 November 2024
Chego's Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 222 yards away 5 - Very good 13 March 2025
Bite Takeaway/sandwich shop 227 yards away 5 - Very good 20 March 2025

Questions about The Dolphin

What is The Dolphin's food hygiene rating?

The Dolphin has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by West Berkshire Council on 7 November 2024.

Is The Dolphin 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 Dolphin last inspected?

The Dolphin was last inspected on 7 November 2024, 20 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by West Berkshire Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at The Dolphin?

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 Dolphin compare to other places in West Berkshire?

86% of the 1,090 rated food businesses in West Berkshire hold the top rating of 5, and The Dolphin is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

West Berkshire Council inspects The Dolphin 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 Dolphin 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

The Dolphin is one of 383 rated food businesses in Newbury. See every hygiene rating in Newbury

West Berkshire inspects and rates 1,253 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in West Berkshire

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