Blue Ball Inn food hygiene rating
Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house · North Devon
Blue Ball Inn holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the hotel 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 18 February 2025, 16 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: The Blue Ball Inn, Countisbury Hill, Lynmouth, EX35 6NE
How it compares in North Devon
In North Devon, 84% of rated places manage a 5, so Blue Ball Inn sits behind roughly 1,107 nearby businesses. 10% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,107 | 84% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 129 | 10% | ← Blue Ball Inn | |
| 3 out of 5 | 42 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 15 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 21 | 2% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 3 | <1% |
A further 150 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 Generally satisfactory
- 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 Blue Ball 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.
Questions about Blue Ball Inn
What is Blue Ball Inn's food hygiene rating?
Blue Ball Inn has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by North Devon Council on 18 February 2025.
Is Blue Ball Inn 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 hotel to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was Blue Ball Inn last inspected?
Blue Ball Inn was last inspected on 18 February 2025, 16 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by North Devon Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Blue Ball Inn?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Blue Ball Inn compare to other places in North Devon?
84% of the 1,317 rated food businesses in North Devon hold the top rating of 5, while Blue Ball Inn holds a 4. 129 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
North Devon Council inspects Blue Ball 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 Blue Ball 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
Blue Ball Inn is one of 77 rated food businesses in Lynton. See every hygiene rating in Lynton →
North Devon inspects and rates 1,467 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in North Devon →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.northdevon.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 →