The Blacksmiths Arms food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Torridge
The Blacksmiths Arms holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The pub 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 5 February 2025, 17 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: Blacksmiths Arms, 23 Torrington Street, Bideford, EX39 4DP
How it compares in Torridge
In Torridge, 86% of rated places manage a 5, so The Blacksmiths Arms sits behind roughly 640 nearby businesses. 4% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 581 | 86% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 59 | 9% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 24 | 4% | ← The Blacksmiths Arms | |
| 2 out of 5 | 7 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 8 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 94 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 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 Blacksmiths Arms 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 Blacksmiths Arms, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biddy Baps Mobile caterer | 265 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 September 2024 |
| Gurkha Bideford Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 363 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 September 2024 |
| Deanies Delights Retailers - other | 406 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 September 2025 |
| Chef Duet Catering Co. Other catering premises | 419 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 July 2025 |
| Costa Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 433 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 September 2025 |
| Blackwells Pasties Ltd Manufacturers/packers | 436 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 March 2025 |
| Belluno Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 September 2025 |
| Aroma Rock Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 7 July 2026 |
Questions about The Blacksmiths Arms
What is The Blacksmiths Arms's food hygiene rating?
The Blacksmiths Arms has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Torridge Council on 5 February 2025.
Is The Blacksmiths Arms safe to eat at?
A 3 means the pub 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 Blacksmiths Arms last inspected?
The Blacksmiths Arms was last inspected on 5 February 2025, 17 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Torridge Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Blacksmiths Arms?
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 "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Blacksmiths Arms compare to other places in Torridge?
86% of the 679 rated food businesses in Torridge hold the top rating of 5, while The Blacksmiths Arms holds a 3. 24 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Torridge Council inspects The Blacksmiths Arms 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 Blacksmiths Arms 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 Blacksmiths Arms is one of 299 rated food businesses in Bideford. See every hygiene rating in Bideford →
Torridge inspects and rates 773 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Torridge →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.torridge.gov.uk/food
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 →