Hooden Smokehouse and Cellar food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Ashford
Hooden Smokehouse and Cellar 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 is a fresh result: Hooden Smokehouse and Cellar was inspected on 16 July 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.
98% of rated food businesses in Ashford score 4 or 5, so this is a normal, good result for the area. See all Ashford ratings →
Address: Hooden Smokehouse and Cellar 24 Silver Hill Road, Willesborough, TN24 0NY
How this rating has changed
Hooden Smokehouse and Cellar has gone backwards: it held a 5 before its inspection on 16 July 2026, and now holds a 4.
| Inspected | Rating | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 16 July 2026 | 5 4 | Worse |
The FSA publishes only a business's current rating. This history is our own record of what it has scored since we began watching.
How it compares in Ashford
In Ashford, 90% of rated places manage a 5, so Hooden Smokehouse and Cellar sits behind roughly 1,034 nearby businesses. 8% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,034 | 90% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 87 | 8% | ← Hooden Smokehouse and Cellar | |
| 3 out of 5 | 18 | 2% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 11 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 2 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 107 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 Good
- 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 Hooden Smokehouse and Cellar 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 Hooden Smokehouse and Cellar, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bio Pathica Ltd Distributors/Transporters | 117 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 November 2023 |
| Cyto-Solutions Ltd Distributors/Transporters | 117 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 December 2017 |
| Costcutter Retailers - other | 437 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 June 2024 |
| Care UK Caring Premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 February 2026 |
| Caldecott Foundation Caring Premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 July 2021 |
| 2gether Support Solutions Limited William Harvey Hospital Caring Premises | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 3 July 2026 |
| Cradlebridge Minimart Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 16 October 2025 |
| Cafe Central and Meadow View Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 March 2026 |
Questions about Hooden Smokehouse and Cellar
What is Hooden Smokehouse and Cellar's food hygiene rating?
Hooden Smokehouse and Cellar has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Ashford Council on 16 July 2026.
Is Hooden Smokehouse and Cellar 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 Hooden Smokehouse and Cellar last inspected?
Hooden Smokehouse and Cellar was last inspected on 16 July 2026, a month ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Ashford Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Hooden Smokehouse and Cellar?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", 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 Hooden Smokehouse and Cellar compare to other places in Ashford?
90% of the 1,153 rated food businesses in Ashford hold the top rating of 5, while Hooden Smokehouse and Cellar holds a 4. 87 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Ashford Council inspects Hooden Smokehouse and Cellar 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 Hooden Smokehouse and Cellar 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
Hooden Smokehouse and Cellar is one of 65 rated food businesses in Willesborough. See every hygiene rating in Willesborough →
Ashford inspects and rates 1,260 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Ashford →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.ashford.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 →