The Bull food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Sevenoaks
The Bull 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 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: Lombard Street, Horton Kirby, Kent, DA4 9DF
How it compares in Sevenoaks
In Sevenoaks, 78% of rated places manage a 5, so The Bull sits behind roughly 669 nearby businesses. 14% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 669 | 78% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 119 | 14% | ← The Bull | |
| 3 out of 5 | 47 | 6% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 13 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 6 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 103 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Generally satisfactory
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety Very good
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 Bull 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 Bull, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horton Kirby Breakfast & After School Clubs School/college/university | 387 yards away | 5 - Very good | 3 October 2024 |
| Eglantine Villa Care Home Caring Premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 January 2025 |
| The Bridges Pub Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 August 2024 |
| Southdowns Residents Cafe And Stores Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 27 May 2026 |
| The Co-operative Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 9 February 2025 |
Questions about The Bull
What is The Bull's food hygiene rating?
The Bull has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Sevenoaks Council on 7 November 2024.
Is The Bull 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 Bull last inspected?
The Bull was last inspected on 7 November 2024, 20 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Sevenoaks Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Bull?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", 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 Bull compare to other places in Sevenoaks?
78% of the 854 rated food businesses in Sevenoaks hold the top rating of 5, while The Bull holds a 4. 119 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Sevenoaks Council inspects The Bull 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 Bull and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Sevenoaks inspects and rates 957 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Sevenoaks →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.sevenoaks.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 →