The Red Lion food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Cherwell
The Red Lion holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The restaurant 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 26 June 2025, 12 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: Red Lion High Street, Bloxham, OX15 4LX
How it compares in Cherwell
In Cherwell, 80% of rated places manage a 5, so The Red Lion sits behind roughly 1,134 nearby businesses. 5% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 977 | 80% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 157 | 13% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 65 | 5% | ← The Red Lion | |
| 2 out of 5 | 14 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 6 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 103 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Generally satisfactory
- 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 Red Lion 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 Red Lion, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Joiners Arms Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 103 yards away | Awaiting inspection | |
| Virginia House Bed & Breakfast Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 152 yards away | 5 - Very good | 31 March 2020 |
| Bloxham Fish Bar Takeaway/sandwich shop | 153 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 January 2025 |
| Godswell Park Caring Premises | 270 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 December 2025 |
| Bloxham School School/college/university | 276 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 January 2025 |
| White Lion Cafe Other catering premises | 276 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 February 2026 |
| Bloxham Bowls Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 287 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 March 2023 |
| St Marys Thursday Club Other catering premises | 309 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 February 2025 |
Questions about The Red Lion
What is The Red Lion's food hygiene rating?
The Red Lion has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Cherwell Council on 26 June 2025.
Is The Red Lion safe to eat at?
A 3 means the restaurant 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 Red Lion last inspected?
The Red Lion was last inspected on 26 June 2025, 12 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Cherwell Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Red Lion?
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 Red Lion compare to other places in Cherwell?
80% of the 1,221 rated food businesses in Cherwell hold the top rating of 5, while The Red Lion holds a 3. 65 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Cherwell Council inspects The Red Lion 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 Red Lion 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 Red Lion is one of 21 rated food businesses in Bloxham. See every hygiene rating in Bloxham →
Cherwell inspects and rates 1,324 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Cherwell →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.cherwell.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 →