4

The Dolphin food hygiene rating

Pub/bar/nightclub · North Devon

The Dolphin 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

This rating dates from 18 September 2024, but the business has been re-inspected and a new rating is awaiting publication, so the score shown here is about to change.

Address: The Dolphin Bar And Bistro, Seaside, Combe Martin, EX34 0AW

How it compares in North Devon

In North Devon, 84% of rated places manage a 5, so The Dolphin sits behind roughly 1,107 nearby businesses. 10% of the borough shares its 4.

Every rated food business in North Devon
5 out of 5 1,107 84%
4 out of 5 129 10% ← The Dolphin
3 out of 5 42 3%
2 out of 5 15 1%
1 out of 5 21 2%
0 out of 5 3 <1%

A further 150 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 Dolphin 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.

Questions about The Dolphin

What is The Dolphin's food hygiene rating?

The Dolphin has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by North Devon Council on 18 September 2024.

Is The Dolphin 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 Dolphin last inspected?

The Dolphin was last inspected on 18 September 2024, 21 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by North Devon Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at The Dolphin?

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 Dolphin compare to other places in North Devon?

84% of the 1,317 rated food businesses in North Devon hold the top rating of 5, while The Dolphin holds a 4. 129 places in the area share that rating.

Who decides the rating?

North Devon Council inspects The Dolphin 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 Dolphin 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 Dolphin is one of 239 rated food businesses in Ilfracombe. See every hygiene rating in Ilfracombe

North Devon inspects and rates 1,467 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in North Devon

The official record is held by the council: http://www.northdevon.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 →