5

The Gorge food hygiene rating

Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Dorset

The Gorge holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the restaurant met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 8 October 2024, 21 months ago. That is getting on for the longest gap councils usually leave, so the score may not reflect how the business is run today.

Address: 59 East Street, Blandford Forum, DT11 7DX

How it compares in Dorset

That puts The Gorge among the 3,808 places in Dorset holding top marks, 95% of everywhere the council rates. A 5 is the norm here rather than the exception, so it is the rating to expect, not to be impressed by.

Every rated food business in Dorset
5 out of 5 3,808 95% ← The Gorge
4 out of 5 139 3%
3 out of 5 33 1%
2 out of 5 5 <1%
1 out of 5 3 <1%
0 out of 5 0 0%

A further 1,119 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 Gorge 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 Gorge, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Best One Retailers - other at this address 5 - Very good 24 May 2018
Georgian Tea Room Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen at this address 5 - Very good 28 November 2024
Poundstretcher Retailers - other at this address 5 - Very good 25 June 2026
Practically Magic Retailers - other 28 yards away 5 - Very good 5 November 2025
La Vita Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 79 yards away 5 - Very good 3 February 2026
The Dolphin Pub/bar/nightclub 88 yards away 5 - Very good 27 January 2026
Community Kitchen Other catering premises 101 yards away 5 - Very good 10 March 2025
Royal British Legion Pub/bar/nightclub 103 yards away 5 - Very good 20 May 2026

Questions about The Gorge

What is The Gorge's food hygiene rating?

The Gorge has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Dorset Council on 8 October 2024.

Is The Gorge safe to eat at?

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

When was The Gorge last inspected?

The Gorge was last inspected on 8 October 2024, 21 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Dorset Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at The Gorge?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "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 Gorge compare to other places in Dorset?

95% of the 3,988 rated food businesses in Dorset hold the top rating of 5, and The Gorge is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Dorset Council inspects The Gorge 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 Gorge 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 Gorge is one of 118 rated food businesses in Blandford Forum. See every hygiene rating in Blandford Forum

Dorset inspects and rates 5,107 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Dorset

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