The Four Horseshoes food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Swale
The Four Horseshoes holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the pub are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 20 May 2025, 13 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: Head Hill Road, Graveney, Kent, ME13 9DE
How it compares in Swale
In Swale, 83% of rated places manage a 5, so The Four Horseshoes sits behind roughly 989 nearby businesses. 11% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 989 | 83% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 134 | 11% | ← The Four Horseshoes | |
| 3 out of 5 | 41 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 6 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 13 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 3 | <1% |
A further 40 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 Generally satisfactory
- 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 Four Horseshoes 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 Four Horseshoes, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chartwells At Graveney County Primary School School/college/university | 438 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 February 2025 |
| Hill View Caring Premises | 1.1 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 July 2017 |
| Farm Work Play School/college/university | 1.1 miles away | 5 - Very good | 24 February 2025 |
| Monkshill Micro Butchery Retailers - other | 1.1 miles away | 5 - Very good | 29 September 2023 |
| Bessborough Farm Retailers - other | 1.2 miles away | 5 - Very good | 19 November 2018 |
| Hernhill Football Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 1.2 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 November 2025 |
| Cave Hotels And Golf Resort Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 1.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 28 May 2026 |
| Magpie Playgroup Caring Premises | 1.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 December 2025 |
Questions about The Four Horseshoes
What is The Four Horseshoes's food hygiene rating?
The Four Horseshoes has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Swale Council on 20 May 2025.
Is The Four Horseshoes safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this pub to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Four Horseshoes last inspected?
The Four Horseshoes was last inspected on 20 May 2025, 13 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Swale Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Four Horseshoes?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Four Horseshoes compare to other places in Swale?
83% of the 1,186 rated food businesses in Swale hold the top rating of 5, while The Four Horseshoes holds a 4. 134 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Swale Council inspects The Four Horseshoes 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 Four Horseshoes and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Swale inspects and rates 1,226 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Swale →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.swale.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 →