The Hare Inn food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Babergh
The Hare Inn holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The pub met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
This is a fresh result: The Hare Inn was inspected on 27 July 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.
This sits in the middle for Babergh, where 2% of rated places score below 3 and 95% score 4 or 5. See all Babergh ratings →
Address: Hare Inn. Hare Inn, High Street, Long Melford, CO10 9DF
⚠️ The lowest-rated places near The Hare Inn
These food businesses close to this one were rated 0 to 2 at their last inspection, the lowest ratings. Tap any to see why.
How this rating has changed
The Hare Inn has improved: it was rated 2 before its inspection on 27 July 2026, and now holds a 3.
| Inspected | Rating | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 27 July 2026 | 2 3 | Improved |
The FSA publishes only a business's current rating. This history is our own record of what it has scored since we began watching.
How it compares in Babergh
In Babergh, 87% of rated places manage a 5, so The Hare Inn sits behind roughly 750 nearby businesses. 3% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 689 | 87% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 61 | 8% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 26 | 3% | ← The Hare Inn | |
| 2 out of 5 | 6 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 6 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 3 | <1% |
A further 89 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety Generally satisfactory
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 Hare Inn 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 Hare Inn, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scutchers Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 27 March 2026 |
| National Trust Enterprises Ltd Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 29 April 2026 |
| Bull Hotel Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 September 2025 |
| The Mill- Long Melford Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 27 March 2018 |
| The Swan Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.7 miles away | 4 - Good | 9 February 2026 |
| Budgens Retailers - other | 0.7 miles away | 1 - Major improvement necessary | 4 June 2025 |
| Tanswell's Bakery Retailers - other | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 March 2026 |
| Oldspeak Bookshop Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 June 2025 |
Questions about The Hare Inn
What is The Hare Inn's food hygiene rating?
The Hare Inn has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Babergh Council on 27 July 2026.
Is The Hare Inn safe to eat at?
A 3 means the pub met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was The Hare Inn last inspected?
The Hare Inn was last inspected on 27 July 2026, a month ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Babergh Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Hare Inn?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Hare Inn compare to other places in Babergh?
87% of the 791 rated food businesses in Babergh hold the top rating of 5, while The Hare Inn holds a 3. 26 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Babergh Council inspects The Hare Inn 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 Hare Inn and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Hare Inn is one of 309 rated food businesses in Sudbury. See every hygiene rating in Sudbury →
Babergh inspects and rates 880 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Babergh →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.babergh.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 →