5

The Plough food hygiene rating

Pub/bar/nightclub · South Cambridgeshire

The Plough 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 26 February 2026, 4 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: 2 High Street, Coton, CB23 7PL

How it compares in South Cambridgeshire

That puts The Plough among the 1,062 places in South Cambridgeshire 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 South Cambridgeshire
5 out of 5 1,062 87% ← The Plough
4 out of 5 121 10%
3 out of 5 26 2%
2 out of 5 5 <1%
1 out of 5 5 <1%
0 out of 5 2 <1%

A further 95 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 Plough 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 Plough, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
B&B and The Wedding Marquee Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house 0.4 miles away 5 - Very good 16 September 2023
Cavendish Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 1.0 miles away 5 - Very good 26 March 2025
Cambridge Lawn Tennis Club Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 1.4 miles away 5 - Very good 31 March 2021
Cantab Catering @ Cambridge University Athletics Track Pavilion Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 1.5 miles away 5 - Very good 1 April 2026
Churchill College Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 1.6 miles away 5 - Very good 14 September 2024
Bright Horizons Wolfson Court Day Nursery and Preschool Caring Premises 1.6 miles away 5 - Very good 5 December 2024
Arlington Manor Care Home Caring Premises 1.8 miles away 5 - Very good 7 July 2025
Co-Operative Retail Services Ltd Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets 1.8 miles away 5 - Very good 8 January 2025

Questions about The Plough

What is The Plough's food hygiene rating?

The Plough has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by South Cambridgeshire Council on 26 February 2026.

Is The Plough 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 Plough last inspected?

The Plough was last inspected on 26 February 2026, 4 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by South Cambridgeshire Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at The Plough?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "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 Plough compare to other places in South Cambridgeshire?

87% of the 1,221 rated food businesses in South Cambridgeshire hold the top rating of 5, and The Plough is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

South Cambridgeshire Council inspects The Plough 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 Plough and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

South Cambridgeshire inspects and rates 1,316 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in South Cambridgeshire

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