The Bird in Hand food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Staffordshire Moorlands
The Bird in Hand holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the pub and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 17 July 2025, 11 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: 117 Tape Street, Cheadle, Stoke on Trent Staffordshire, ST10 1ER
How it compares in Staffordshire Moorlands
A 1 is rare: only 7 of 805 rated places in Staffordshire Moorlands score this low, about one in 115. By contrast 85% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 684 | 85% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 73 | 9% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 34 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 6 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 7 | 1% | ← The Bird in Hand | |
| 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
- Hygienic food handling Improvement necessary
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety Major improvement necessary
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 Bird in Hand the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled and confidence in management. Because the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, that is what holds the score down.
Food hygiene ratings nearby
The closest food businesses to The Bird in Hand, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheadle Noodle Bar Takeaway/sandwich shop | 20 yards away | 3 - Generally satisfactory | 20 March 2025 |
| Cheadle Primary School School/college/university | 157 yards away | 5 - Very good | 13 February 2025 |
| Cheadle New Life Centre Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 175 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 November 2016 |
| Kids Planet Day Nursery Caring Premises | 190 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 April 2026 |
| Ali's News Retailers - other | 200 yards away | 1 - Major improvement necessary | 28 April 2025 |
| Cheadle Kindergarten Caring Premises | 200 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 September 2025 |
| Asda Cheadle Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 225 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 October 2025 |
| City Catering @ ST GILES R C PRIMARY SCHOOL School/college/university | 240 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 November 2025 |
Questions about The Bird in Hand
What is The Bird in Hand's food hygiene rating?
The Bird in Hand has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Staffordshire Moorlands Council on 17 July 2025.
Is The Bird in Hand safe to eat at?
A 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The pub is not shut down, a rating is not a closure order, but standards were found to be below what the law expects at the time of inspection.
When was The Bird in Hand last inspected?
The Bird in Hand was last inspected on 17 July 2025, 11 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 Bird in Hand?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "major improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Bird in Hand compare to other places in Staffordshire Moorlands?
85% of the 805 rated food businesses in Staffordshire Moorlands hold the top rating of 5, while The Bird in Hand holds a 1. 7 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Staffordshire Moorlands Council inspects The Bird in Hand 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 Bird in Hand 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 →
Is this your business?
A rating of 1 is public, and most customers look. Only 18% of people say they would order from a business rated 2 or below, against 94% from one rated 4. Delivery platforms may decline to list you.
We cannot change this rating, and nor can you. It was set by an environmental health officer at Staffordshire Moorlands, and it stands until they inspect again. What you can do:
- Fix what the inspector found, then ask the council for a re-inspection. Most charge between £120 and £316, and will not re-visit within three months of the original inspection.
- If you believe the rating is simply wrong, you have 21 days from being notified to appeal to the council. That is 21 calendar days, not working days.
- You may submit a right to reply at any time. It is published alongside the rating, here, and on the FSA's own site.
What a low rating means → · How re-inspections and appeals work →
Your council: Staffordshire Moorlands
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Bird in Hand is one of 66 rated food businesses in Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire. See every hygiene rating in Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire →
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 →