The Royal Oak food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Guildford
The Royal Oak 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 17 July 2025, 11 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: The Royal Oak Felday Glade, Holmbury St Mary, RH5 6PF
How it compares in Guildford
In Guildford, 82% of rated places manage a 5, so The Royal Oak sits behind roughly 962 nearby businesses. 4% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 821 | 82% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 141 | 14% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 37 | 4% | ← The Royal Oak | |
| 2 out of 5 | 5 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 3 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 132 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 Royal Oak 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 Royal Oak, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Kings Head / The Kings Head Shop Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.3 miles away | 4 - Good | 19 June 2025 |
| Hurtwood cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 June 2025 |
| Youth Hostel Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 May 2025 |
| Felbury House Residential Home Caring Premises | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 January 2025 |
Questions about The Royal Oak
What is The Royal Oak's food hygiene rating?
The Royal Oak has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Guildford Council on 17 July 2025.
Is The Royal Oak 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 Royal Oak last inspected?
The Royal Oak was last inspected on 17 July 2025, 11 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Guildford Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Royal Oak?
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 Royal Oak compare to other places in Guildford?
82% of the 1,007 rated food businesses in Guildford hold the top rating of 5, while The Royal Oak holds a 3. 37 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Guildford Council inspects The Royal Oak 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 Royal Oak and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Guildford inspects and rates 1,139 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Guildford →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.guildford.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 →