5

The Royal Oak food hygiene rating

Pub/bar/nightclub · Stafford

The Royal Oak 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 27 March 2025, 15 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: Royal Oak, High Street, Eccleshall, ST21 6BZ

How it compares in Stafford

That puts The Royal Oak among the 778 places in Stafford holding top marks, 80% 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 Stafford
5 out of 5 778 80% ← The Royal Oak
4 out of 5 139 14%
3 out of 5 38 4%
2 out of 5 14 1%
1 out of 5 7 1%
0 out of 5 0 0%

A further 158 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 Royal Oak 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 Royal Oak, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Star Pizza Takeaway/sandwich shop 30 yards away 5 - Very good 22 October 2024
Country Kitchen Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 40 yards away Awaiting inspection
Eccleshall Pharmacy Retailers - other 50 yards away Exempt
Lodeys of Newcastle Retailers - other 54 yards away 5 - Very good 22 April 2026
The Bell at Eccleshall Pub/bar/nightclub 102 yards away 4 - Good 25 September 2024
Jasmine Peking Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 103 yards away 4 - Good 19 February 2026
Courtyard Coffee Retailers - other 119 yards away 5 - Very good 22 May 2024
Olive Italian Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 119 yards away 5 - Very good 29 April 2026

Questions about The Royal Oak

What is The Royal Oak's food hygiene rating?

The Royal Oak has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Stafford Council on 27 March 2025.

Is The Royal Oak 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 Royal Oak last inspected?

The Royal Oak was last inspected on 27 March 2025, 15 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Stafford Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at The Royal Oak?

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 Royal Oak compare to other places in Stafford?

80% of the 976 rated food businesses in Stafford hold the top rating of 5, and The Royal Oak is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Stafford Council inspects The Royal Oak 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 Royal Oak and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

The Royal Oak is one of 31 rated food businesses in Eccleshall. See every hygiene rating in Eccleshall

Stafford inspects and rates 1,134 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Stafford

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