4

The Mad Ox food hygiene rating

Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Wakefield

The Mad Ox holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the restaurant are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.

The rating: 4 - Good

The rating dates from 8 August 2023, more than 2 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: 9-11 Ropergate End, Pontefract, WF8 1JX

How it compares in Wakefield

In Wakefield, 79% of rated places manage a 5, so The Mad Ox sits behind roughly 2,118 nearby businesses. 16% of the borough shares its 4.

Every rated food business in Wakefield
5 out of 5 2,118 79%
4 out of 5 435 16% ← The Mad Ox
3 out of 5 85 3%
2 out of 5 18 1%
1 out of 5 36 1%
0 out of 5 4 <1%

A further 367 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 Mad Ox 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 Mad Ox, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Abduls Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 79 yards away 5 - Very good 9 June 2026
Alleyc'Zam Cafe & Bar Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 79 yards away 5 - Very good 7 April 2026
Bar 23 / Erubi / 23 Street Kitchen Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 167 yards away 5 - Very good 24 July 2024
Berries Takeaway/sandwich shop 177 yards away 5 - Very good 17 December 2024
Bar Deuce Pub/bar/nightclub 236 yards away 5 - Very good 29 May 2024
Bigfellas @ 13 Pub/bar/nightclub 236 yards away 5 - Very good 14 March 2024
Boots UK Ltd Retailers - other 245 yards away 5 - Very good 8 August 2024
Active Minds Pontefract Other catering premises 264 yards away 5 - Very good 27 February 2025

Questions about The Mad Ox

What is The Mad Ox's food hygiene rating?

The Mad Ox has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Wakefield Council on 8 August 2023.

Is The Mad Ox safe to eat at?

The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this restaurant to be good, the top end of the scale.

When was The Mad Ox last inspected?

The Mad Ox was last inspected on 8 August 2023, more than 2 years ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Wakefield Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at The Mad Ox?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "very 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 Mad Ox compare to other places in Wakefield?

79% of the 2,696 rated food businesses in Wakefield hold the top rating of 5, while The Mad Ox holds a 4. 435 places in the area share that rating.

Who decides the rating?

Wakefield Council inspects The Mad Ox 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 Mad Ox and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

Free, for three businesses, forever. No password, we send you a link. How rating alerts work →

Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

The Mad Ox is one of 649 rated food businesses in Pontefract. See every hygiene rating in Pontefract

Wakefield inspects and rates 3,063 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Wakefield

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