The Red Lion food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Cherwell
The Red Lion holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The restaurant met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 23 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: Red Lion South Side, Steeple Aston, OX25 4RY
How it compares in Cherwell
In Cherwell, 80% of rated places manage a 5, so The Red Lion sits behind roughly 1,134 nearby businesses. 5% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 977 | 80% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 157 | 13% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 65 | 5% | ← The Red Lion | |
| 2 out of 5 | 14 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 6 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 103 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Generally satisfactory
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety Generally satisfactory
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 Red Lion 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 Red Lion, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Holt Hotel Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 March 2026 |
| Neptune Property Management Other catering premises | 0.8 miles away | 4 - Good | 13 February 2025 |
| Kizzie's Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 1.0 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 July 2025 |
| The Bell Inn Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 1.2 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 March 2025 |
| Yurt Cafe At Nicholsons Nursery Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 1.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 December 2024 |
| White Horse Inn Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 1.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 18 May 2026 |
| North Aston Farm Shop Retailers - other | 1.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 19 December 2025 |
| The Cinnamon Stick Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 1.9 miles away | 4 - Good | 29 April 2025 |
Questions about The Red Lion
What is The Red Lion's food hygiene rating?
The Red Lion has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Cherwell Council on 23 May 2025.
Is The Red Lion safe to eat at?
A 3 means the restaurant met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was The Red Lion last inspected?
The Red Lion was last inspected on 23 May 2025, 13 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Cherwell Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Red Lion?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Red Lion compare to other places in Cherwell?
80% of the 1,221 rated food businesses in Cherwell hold the top rating of 5, while The Red Lion holds a 3. 65 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Cherwell Council inspects The Red Lion 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 Red Lion and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Cherwell inspects and rates 1,324 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Cherwell →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.cherwell.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 →