5

The Sydney Arms food hygiene rating

Pub/bar/nightclub · Dorset

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

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 8 January 2025, 18 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: 11 Bridport Road, Dorchester, DT1 2NG

How it compares in Dorset

That puts The Sydney Arms 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 Sydney Arms
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 Sydney 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 Sydney Arms, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Costa Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 86 yards away 5 - Very good 11 February 2025
Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Caring Premises 86 yards away 5 - Very good 13 February 2025
Dorset County Hospital Ward Kitchens Caring Premises 86 yards away 5 - Very good 13 February 2025
Dorset Army Cadets - Captain Dutracy Other catering premises 298 yards away 5 - Very good 26 November 2024
A35 Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 344 yards away 5 - Very good 7 February 2025
Glencairn House Residential Home Caring Premises 377 yards away 5 - Very good 7 February 2025
Case and Brewer Takeaway/sandwich shop 398 yards away 5 - Very good 5 September 2024
Central Stores Retailers - other 398 yards away 5 - Very good 14 February 2019

Questions about The Sydney Arms

What is The Sydney Arms's food hygiene rating?

The Sydney Arms has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Dorset Council on 8 January 2025.

Is The Sydney Arms 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 pub to be very good, the top end of the scale.

When was The Sydney Arms last inspected?

The Sydney Arms was last inspected on 8 January 2025, 18 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 Sydney Arms?

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 Sydney Arms compare to other places in Dorset?

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

Who decides the rating?

Dorset Council inspects The Sydney 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 Sydney 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 Sydney Arms is one of 249 rated food businesses in Dorchester. See every hygiene rating in Dorchester

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 →