The Ridgeway Arms food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Bolton
The Ridgeway Arms holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the restaurant and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 20 August 2025, 10 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: Station Road, Blackrod, BL6 5JF
How it compares in Bolton
A 1 is rare: only 103 of 2,200 rated places in Bolton score this low, about one in 21. By contrast 55% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,220 | 55% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 476 | 22% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 315 | 14% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 76 | 3% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 103 | 5% | ← The Ridgeway Arms | |
| 0 out of 5 | 10 | <1% |
A further 186 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 Improvement necessary
- How well they manage food safety Major improvement necessary
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 Ridgeway Arms the inspector recorded concerns over the condition of the premises and confidence in management. Because the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, that is what holds the score down.
Food hygiene ratings nearby
The closest food businesses to The Ridgeway Arms, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland School Station Road School/college/university | 233 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 February 2025 |
| Blackrod County Primary School School/college/university | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 30 January 2025 |
| Blackrod Cricket Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 7 June 2025 |
| Blackrod premier Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 13 May 2025 |
| Crown Off Licence Retailers - other | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 February 2025 |
| Greenhalgh's Retailers - other | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 29 January 2025 |
| Greggs - M61 Rivington Northbound Services Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 December 2025 |
| Flounders Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 February 2025 |
Questions about The Ridgeway Arms
What is The Ridgeway Arms's food hygiene rating?
The Ridgeway Arms has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Bolton Council on 20 August 2025.
Is The Ridgeway Arms safe to eat at?
A 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The restaurant is not shut down, a rating is not a closure order, but standards were found to be below what the law expects at the time of inspection.
When was The Ridgeway Arms last inspected?
The Ridgeway Arms was last inspected on 20 August 2025, 10 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Bolton Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Ridgeway Arms?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "improvement necessary", and confidence in the management of food safety "major improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Ridgeway Arms compare to other places in Bolton?
55% of the 2,200 rated food businesses in Bolton hold the top rating of 5, while The Ridgeway Arms holds a 1. 103 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Bolton Council inspects The Ridgeway Arms 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 Ridgeway Arms 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 →
Is this your business?
A rating of 1 is public, and most customers look. Only 18% of people say they would order from a business rated 2 or below, against 94% from one rated 4. Delivery platforms may decline to list you.
We cannot change this rating, and nor can you. It was set by an environmental health officer at Bolton, and it stands until they inspect again. What you can do:
- Fix what the inspector found, then ask the council for a re-inspection. Most charge between £120 and £316, and will not re-visit within three months of the original inspection.
- If you believe the rating is simply wrong, you have 21 days from being notified to appeal to the council. That is 21 calendar days, not working days.
- You may submit a right to reply at any time. It is published alongside the rating, here, and on the FSA's own site.
What a low rating means → · How re-inspections and appeals work →
Your council: Bolton
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Ridgeway Arms is one of 32 rated food businesses in Blackrod. See every hygiene rating in Blackrod →
Bolton inspects and rates 2,386 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Bolton →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.bolton.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 →