The Lion Inn food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Somerset
The Lion Inn 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 19 February 2026, 4 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: Church Street, Timberscombe, Minehead, TA24 7TP
How it compares in Somerset
That puts The Lion Inn among the 4,825 places in Somerset holding top marks, 87% 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 | 4,825 | 87% | ← The Lion Inn | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 541 | 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 Very good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Good
- How well they manage food safety Very 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 Lion Inn 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 Lion Inn, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timberscombe First School School/college/university | 250 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 November 2025 |
| Great House B & B Other catering premises | 252 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 March 2023 |
| Middle Burrow Bed and Breakfast Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 1.2 miles away | 5 - Very good | 3 February 2026 |
| Little Oak Farm Pork Retailers - other | 1.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 9 April 2026 |
| Dunkery Beacon Country House Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 1.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 30 August 2023 |
| Dunster Lodge Caring Premises | 2.0 miles away | 5 - Very good | 31 March 2026 |
| King Kebab Takeaway/sandwich shop | 2.2 miles away | 5 - Very good | 18 March 2026 |
| Foresters Arms Pub/bar/nightclub | 2.2 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 April 2026 |
Questions about The Lion Inn
What is The Lion Inn's food hygiene rating?
The Lion Inn has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Somerset Council on 19 February 2026.
Is The Lion Inn 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 The Lion Inn last inspected?
The Lion Inn was last inspected on 19 February 2026, 4 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 Lion Inn?
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 "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Lion Inn compare to other places in Somerset?
87% of the 5,515 rated food businesses in Somerset hold the top rating of 5, and The Lion Inn is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Somerset Council inspects The Lion Inn 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 Lion Inn and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Lion Inn 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 →