The Big Cheese food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Somerset
The Big Cheese holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the shop met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
The rating dates from 5 May 2026, 2 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: High Street, Porlock, Minehead, TA24 8PT
How it compares in Somerset
That puts The Big Cheese among the 4,826 places in Somerset holding top marks, 88% 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.
| 5 out of 5 | 4,826 | 88% | ← The Big Cheese | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 540 | 10% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 92 | 2% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 26 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 31 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 557 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Good
- 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 The Big Cheese 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 Big Cheese, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Little Family Butchers Retailers - other | at this address | 4 - Good | 17 February 2026 |
| Bake Me Crazy Other catering premises | 25 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 August 2024 |
| Lorna Doone Hotel Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 25 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 March 2026 |
| The Royal Oak Pub/bar/nightclub | 25 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 November 2025 |
| The Royal Oak Pub/bar/nightclub | 25 yards away | Awaiting inspection | |
| Exmoor Foodservice Other catering premises | 40 yards away | 4 - Good | 13 September 2007 |
| Reines House B&B Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 138 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 April 2017 |
| Myrtle Cottage Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 150 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 February 2023 |
Questions about The Big Cheese
What is The Big Cheese's food hygiene rating?
The Big Cheese has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Somerset Council on 5 May 2026.
Is The Big Cheese 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 shop to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Big Cheese last inspected?
The Big Cheese was last inspected on 5 May 2026, 2 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Somerset Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Big Cheese?
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 The Big Cheese compare to other places in Somerset?
88% of the 5,515 rated food businesses in Somerset hold the top rating of 5, and The Big Cheese is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Somerset Council inspects The Big Cheese 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 Big Cheese 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 Big Cheese is one of 260 rated food businesses in Minehead. See every hygiene rating in Minehead →
Somerset inspects and rates 6,072 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Somerset →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.somerset.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 →