5

The Winking Man food hygiene rating

Pub/bar/nightclub · Staffordshire Moorlands

The Winking Man 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 5 December 2025, 7 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: Buxton Road, Ramshaw, Upper Hulme Leek Staffordshi, ST13 8UH

How it compares in Staffordshire Moorlands

That puts The Winking Man among the 684 places in Staffordshire Moorlands holding top marks, 85% 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 Staffordshire Moorlands
5 out of 5 684 85% ← The Winking Man
4 out of 5 73 9%
3 out of 5 34 4%
2 out of 5 6 1%
1 out of 5 7 1%
0 out of 5 1 <1%

A further 52 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 Winking Man 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 Winking Man, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
YE Olde Rock Inn Pub/bar/nightclub 1.5 miles away 5 - Very good 12 November 2025
Roaches Tea Rooms Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 1.5 miles away 4 - Good 15 May 2025
Blackshaw Moor Caravan Club Site Retailers - other 2.3 miles away 5 - Very good 14 May 2026
Three Horseshoes Inn Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 2.3 miles away 5 - Very good 8 May 2026
Miquill @ Blackshaw Moor CofE First School School/college/university 2.3 miles away Awaiting inspection
Hotdogging@Blackshaw Moor Caravan & Camping Site Mobile caterer 2.4 miles away 5 - Very good 8 May 2026
The Lazy Trout Pub/bar/nightclub 2.5 miles away 5 - Very good 24 April 2025
Gradbach Mill Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 2.6 miles away 5 - Very good 14 May 2026

Questions about The Winking Man

What is The Winking Man's food hygiene rating?

The Winking Man has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Staffordshire Moorlands Council on 5 December 2025.

Is The Winking Man 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 Winking Man last inspected?

The Winking Man was last inspected on 5 December 2025, 7 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Staffordshire Moorlands Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at The Winking Man?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "very 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 Winking Man compare to other places in Staffordshire Moorlands?

85% of the 805 rated food businesses in Staffordshire Moorlands hold the top rating of 5, and The Winking Man is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Staffordshire Moorlands Council inspects The Winking Man 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 Winking Man and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

Staffordshire Moorlands inspects and rates 857 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Staffordshire Moorlands

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