5

The Vale Bakery food hygiene rating

Retailers - other · Dorset

The Vale Bakery holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the shop met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 31 March 2021, more than 5 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: Melbury Vale Winery Foots Hill, Cann, SP7 0BW

How it compares in Dorset

That puts The Vale Bakery among the 3,808 places in Dorset holding top marks, 95% 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 Dorset
5 out of 5 3,808 95% ← The Vale Bakery
4 out of 5 139 3%
3 out of 5 33 1%
2 out of 5 5 <1%
1 out of 5 3 <1%
0 out of 5 0 0%

A further 1,119 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 Vale Bakery 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 Vale Bakery, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Classic Choc Other catering premises at this address 5 - Very good 20 May 2021
N R Stoate & Sons Manufacturers/packers 390 yards away 5 - Very good 19 March 2019
Woodfrys Farm Retailers - other 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 27 April 2023
Bake 5 Retailers - other 0.4 miles away 5 - Very good 9 October 2019
Breezy Ridge Vineyard Retailers - other 0.8 miles away 5 - Very good 15 January 2025
Louise Cowling Hospitality Takeaway/sandwich shop 0.8 miles away 5 - Very good 24 November 2020
Dorset Farm Foods Limited Mobile caterer 0.9 miles away 5 - Very good 5 January 2025
Fast Food Mobile caterer 0.9 miles away 5 - Very good 19 May 2022

Questions about The Vale Bakery

What is The Vale Bakery's food hygiene rating?

The Vale Bakery has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Dorset Council on 31 March 2021.

Is The Vale Bakery 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 shop to be very good, the top end of the scale.

When was The Vale Bakery last inspected?

The Vale Bakery was last inspected on 31 March 2021, more than 5 years ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Dorset Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at The Vale Bakery?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.

How does The Vale Bakery compare to other places in Dorset?

95% of the 3,988 rated food businesses in Dorset hold the top rating of 5, and The Vale Bakery is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Dorset Council inspects The Vale Bakery 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 Vale Bakery and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

Dorset inspects and rates 5,107 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Dorset

The official record is held by the council: https://www.dorsetcouncil.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 →