5

Bull & Bear food hygiene rating

Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · North Devon

Bull & Bear 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 14 April 2025, 15 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: 128 Boutport Street, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 1TD

How it compares in North Devon

That puts Bull & Bear among the 1,107 places in North Devon holding top marks, 84% 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 North Devon
5 out of 5 1,107 84% ← Bull & Bear
4 out of 5 129 10%
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 Bull & Bear 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 Bull & Bear, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Barnstaple Baptist Church Other catering premises at this address 5 - Very good 3 December 2015
Barnstaple Conservative Club Pub/bar/nightclub 48 yards away 5 - Very good 7 May 2024
Happy Hares Nursery & Pre-School Caring Premises 48 yards away 5 - Very good 11 June 2025
Grape Tree Retailers - other 50 yards away 5 - Very good 4 March 2015
Green Lanes Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 90 yards away 5 - Very good 3 July 2024
Barnstaple Coffee Shop Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 124 yards away 5 - Very good 11 November 2025
Greggs Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 148 yards away 5 - Very good 2 June 2026
Iceland Foods Plc Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets 148 yards away 5 - Very good 29 February 2008

Questions about Bull & Bear

What is Bull & Bear's food hygiene rating?

Bull & Bear has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by North Devon Council on 14 April 2025.

Is Bull & Bear 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 Bull & Bear last inspected?

Bull & Bear was last inspected on 14 April 2025, 15 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 Bull & Bear?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "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 Bull & Bear compare to other places in North Devon?

84% of the 1,317 rated food businesses in North Devon hold the top rating of 5, and Bull & Bear is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

North Devon Council inspects Bull & Bear 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 Bull & Bear and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

Bull & Bear is one of 413 rated food businesses in Barnstaple. See every hygiene rating in Barnstaple

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 →