The Pondhouse food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Reading
The Pondhouse 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 10 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: 738 Oxford Road, Reading, RG30 1EH
How it compares in Reading
In Reading, 65% of rated places manage a 5, so The Pondhouse sits behind roughly 881 nearby businesses. 18% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 881 | 65% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 248 | 18% | ← The Pondhouse | |
| 3 out of 5 | 148 | 11% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 39 | 3% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 41 | 3% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 5 | <1% |
A further 155 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 Very 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 Pondhouse 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 Pondhouse, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Rifles Reading Other catering premises | 427 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 March 2025 |
| 3B's Cafe Other catering premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 March 2026 |
| Berkshire Meat Traders Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 August 2025 |
| Beesknees Day Nursery Caring Premises | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 16 October 2024 |
| Asda Superstore Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 October 2025 |
| Butts Today's Local Retailers - other | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 July 2024 |
| Caterlink at Oxford Road Primary School/college/university | 1.0 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 September 2025 |
Questions about The Pondhouse
What is The Pondhouse's food hygiene rating?
The Pondhouse has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Reading Council on 10 September 2025.
Is The Pondhouse 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 Pondhouse last inspected?
The Pondhouse was last inspected on 10 September 2025, 10 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Reading Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Pondhouse?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "very 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 Pondhouse compare to other places in Reading?
65% of the 1,362 rated food businesses in Reading hold the top rating of 5, while The Pondhouse holds a 4. 248 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Reading Council inspects The Pondhouse 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 Pondhouse 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
Reading inspects and rates 1,517 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Reading →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.reading.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 →