The Watermill Cafe food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · North Yorkshire
The Watermill Cafe 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 16 December 2025, 6 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: Lido Leisure Park Wetherby Road, HG5 8LR
How it compares in North Yorkshire
That puts The Watermill Cafe among the 5,364 places in North Yorkshire holding top marks, 86% 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 | 5,364 | 86% | ← The Watermill Cafe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 544 | 9% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 212 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 56 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 49 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 841 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 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 Watermill Cafe 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 Watermill Cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mill Kitchen Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 5 September 2024 |
| Costa Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 January 2023 |
| Marks & Spencer School/college/university | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 March 2016 |
| Next Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 October 2023 |
| Stanleys Coffee Shop And Kitchen Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 February 2026 |
| Sandwiches Unlimited Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 March 2025 |
| After Hours Harrogate LTD Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 28 August 2024 |
| Aspin Park Academy School/college/university | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 7 March 2025 |
Questions about The Watermill Cafe
What is The Watermill Cafe's food hygiene rating?
The Watermill Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by North Yorkshire Council on 16 December 2025.
Is The Watermill Cafe 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 Watermill Cafe last inspected?
The Watermill Cafe was last inspected on 16 December 2025, 6 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by North Yorkshire Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Watermill Cafe?
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 "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Watermill Cafe compare to other places in North Yorkshire?
86% of the 6,226 rated food businesses in North Yorkshire hold the top rating of 5, and The Watermill Cafe is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
North Yorkshire Council inspects The Watermill Cafe 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 Watermill Cafe 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 Watermill Cafe is one of 141 rated food businesses in Knaresborough. See every hygiene rating in Knaresborough →
North Yorkshire inspects and rates 7,067 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in North Yorkshire →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.northyorks.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 →