5

Hare & Hounds food hygiene rating

Pub/bar/nightclub · Dorset

Hare & Hounds 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 7 February 2025, 17 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: The Hare And Hounds Inn Slape Hill, Waytown, DT6 5LQ

How it compares in Dorset

That puts Hare & Hounds 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% ← Hare & Hounds
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 Hare & Hounds 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 Hare & Hounds, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Hemplands Other catering premises 0.8 miles away 5 - Very good 10 October 2018
Pineapple Shop Retailers - other 1.0 miles away 5 - Very good 26 January 2026
Smoke Hut Kitchen & Grill Mobile caterer 1.0 miles away 5 - Very good 10 October 2025
The Half Moon Inn Pub/bar/nightclub 1.0 miles away 5 - Very good 8 January 2025
L & F Catering DV14 DME Mobile caterer 1.0 miles away 5 - Very good 29 October 2024
Greens and Beans Plant Based Nutritional Coaching Mobile caterer 1.1 miles away Awaiting inspection
The Wanderer Other catering premises 1.2 miles away Awaiting inspection
Salwayash Village Hall Other catering premises 1.2 miles away Exempt

Questions about Hare & Hounds

What is Hare & Hounds's food hygiene rating?

Hare & Hounds has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Dorset Council on 7 February 2025.

Is Hare & Hounds 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 Hare & Hounds last inspected?

Hare & Hounds was last inspected on 7 February 2025, 17 months 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 Hare & Hounds?

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 "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.

How does Hare & Hounds compare to other places in Dorset?

95% of the 3,988 rated food businesses in Dorset hold the top rating of 5, and Hare & Hounds is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Dorset Council inspects Hare & Hounds 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 Hare & Hounds 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 →