The Swan food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Babergh
The Swan holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the pub 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 9 February 2026, 5 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: Hall Street, Long Melford, Sudbury, CO10 9JQ
How it compares in Babergh
In Babergh, 86% of rated places manage a 5, so The Swan sits behind roughly 696 nearby businesses. 8% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 696 | 86% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 66 | 8% | ← The Swan | |
| 3 out of 5 | 27 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 7 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 8 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 73 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 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 The Swan 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 Swan, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oldspeak Bookshop Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 58 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 June 2025 |
| Lets Cook - The Cracked Nut Deli Retailers - other | 78 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 February 2026 |
| Brown Sugar Long Melford Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 109 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 March 2025 |
| B Dowse Mobile caterer | 154 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 September 2024 |
| Cafe Hygge Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 180 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 January 2025 |
| Cock & Bell Pub/bar/nightclub | 251 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 May 2026 |
| Clark and Son Butchers Retailers - other | 278 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 August 2025 |
| Bull Hotel Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 409 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 September 2025 |
Questions about The Swan
What is The Swan's food hygiene rating?
The Swan has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Babergh Council on 9 February 2026.
Is The Swan 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 pub to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Swan last inspected?
The Swan was last inspected on 9 February 2026, 5 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Babergh Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Swan?
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 "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Swan compare to other places in Babergh?
86% of the 806 rated food businesses in Babergh hold the top rating of 5, while The Swan holds a 4. 66 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Babergh Council inspects The Swan 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 Swan and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Swan is one of 307 rated food businesses in Sudbury. See every hygiene rating in Sudbury →
Babergh inspects and rates 879 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Babergh →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.babergh.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 →