3

The Great Western Arms food hygiene rating

Pub/bar/nightclub · West Northamptonshire

The Great Western Arms 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

The rating dates from 8 October 2025, 9 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: Great Western Arms, Station Road, Aynho, OX17 3BP

How it compares in West Northamptonshire

In West Northamptonshire, 78% of rated places manage a 5, so The Great Western Arms sits behind roughly 2,943 nearby businesses. 8% of the borough shares its 3.

Every rated food business in West Northamptonshire
5 out of 5 2,565 78%
4 out of 5 378 12%
3 out of 5 251 8% ← The Great Western Arms
2 out of 5 39 1%
1 out of 5 43 1%
0 out of 5 9 <1%

A further 772 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 Great Western Arms 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 Great Western Arms, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Brew Box Takeaway/sandwich shop 45 yards away 5 - Very good 30 May 2025
The Wharf @ Bridge 190 Ltd Retailers - other 45 yards away 5 - Very good 15 May 2023
The Duke of Cumberland's Head Pub/bar/nightclub 0.6 miles away 5 - Very good 4 February 2026
G E Fenemore And Sons Retailers - other 0.8 miles away 5 - Very good 3 November 2025

Questions about The Great Western Arms

What is The Great Western Arms's food hygiene rating?

The Great Western Arms has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by West Northamptonshire Council on 8 October 2025.

Is The Great Western Arms 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 Great Western Arms last inspected?

The Great Western Arms was last inspected on 8 October 2025, 9 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by West Northamptonshire Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at The Great Western Arms?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", 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 Great Western Arms compare to other places in West Northamptonshire?

78% of the 3,285 rated food businesses in West Northamptonshire hold the top rating of 5, while The Great Western Arms holds a 3. 251 places in the area share that rating.

Who decides the rating?

West Northamptonshire Council inspects The Great Western Arms 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 Great Western Arms and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

West Northamptonshire inspects and rates 4,057 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in West Northamptonshire

The official record is held by the council: https://www.westnorthants.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 →