5

The Baron food hygiene rating

Pub/bar/nightclub · Oxford City

The Baron 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 11 April 2024, more than 2 years ago. A lot can change in a kitchen in that time, and a rating this old says more about the business then than now. Councils prioritise re-inspecting higher-risk premises, so a long gap often means the business is considered low-risk.

Address: 234 Cowley Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1UH

How it compares in Oxford City

That puts The Baron among the 1,206 places in Oxford City holding top marks, 87% 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 Oxford City
5 out of 5 1,206 87% ← The Baron
4 out of 5 116 8%
3 out of 5 32 2%
2 out of 5 11 1%
1 out of 5 12 1%
0 out of 5 4 <1%

A further 156 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 Baron 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 Baron, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Antep Kitchen Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen at this address 5 - Very good 20 November 2025
Bodrum Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen at this address 5 - Very good 23 July 2025
Cafe Baba Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen at this address 5 - Very good 4 September 2024
Alders Butchers Retailers - other 61 yards away 5 - Very good 23 July 2025
Amigos Burritos Mexican Kitchen Other catering premises 192 yards away 5 - Very good 29 April 2026
Afghan Cuisine Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 437 yards away 5 - Very good 11 November 2024
Bigfoot Pub/bar/nightclub 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 21 May 2026
Arbequina Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 0.4 miles away 5 - Very good 20 November 2025

Questions about The Baron

What is The Baron's food hygiene rating?

The Baron has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Oxford City Council on 11 April 2024.

Is The Baron 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 Baron last inspected?

The Baron was last inspected on 11 April 2024, more than 2 years ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Oxford City Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at The Baron?

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 Baron compare to other places in Oxford City?

87% of the 1,381 rated food businesses in Oxford City hold the top rating of 5, and The Baron is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Oxford City Council inspects The Baron 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 Baron and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

Oxford City inspects and rates 1,537 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Oxford City

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