Pilchard Inn food hygiene rating

The rating: 5 - Very good

This is a fresh result: Pilchard Inn was inspected on 14 August 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.

98% of rated food businesses in South Hams score 4 or 5, so this is a normal, good result for the area. See all South Hams ratings →

Address: Burgh Island, Bigbury On Sea, TQ7 4BG

How this rating has changed

Pilchard Inn has improved: it was rated 4 before its inspection on 14 August 2026, and now holds a 5. That is the highest rating the scheme awards.

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 South Hams

That puts Pilchard Inn among the 783 places in South Hams holding top marks, 91% 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 South Hams

5 out of 5		783	91%	← Pilchard Inn
4 out of 5		58	7%
3 out of 5		16	2%
2 out of 5		1	<1%
1 out of 5		5	1%
0 out of 5		0	0%

A further 237 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 Very good
• How well they manage food safety Good

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 Pilchard 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.

Understanding this rating

• What does a 0 food hygiene rating mean? A 0 means the inspector found serious problems and urgent improvement is necessary. It is the lowest rating the scheme gives, but it is not a closure order, and a business with a 0 can, and usually does, keep trading while it puts things right.
• Does a low hygiene rating mean the food is unsafe? A low rating tells you that an inspector found problems on a particular day. It is not a measurement of the food, it is not a prediction, and it is not a verdict on whether you will get ill. It is the best single signal a member of the public has, and it is a snapshot.
• Does a business have to display its hygiene rating? It depends where you are. In Wales and Northern Ireland a food business must display its rating where you can read it before you go in. In England it is voluntary, a business there can legally show you nothing.

More food hygiene ratings near here

South Hams inspects and rates 1,100 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in South Hams →

The official record is held by the council: http://www.southhams.gov.uk/