The Highlander Hotel food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · North Yorkshire
The Highlander Hotel holds a 2, which means some improvement is necessary. The inspector found problems at the pub that the business is required to fix.
The rating: 2 - Some improvement necessary
The rating dates from 5 June 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: 15 Esplanade, YO11 2AF
How it compares in North Yorkshire
A 2 is rare: only 56 of 6,226 rated places in North Yorkshire score this low, about one in 111. By contrast 86% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 5,364 | 86% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 544 | 9% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 212 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 56 | 1% | ← The Highlander Hotel | |
| 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 Improvement necessary
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Improvement necessary
- 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 Highlander Hotel the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled and the condition of the premises. 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 Highlander Hotel, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland Hotel Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 116 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 May 2026 |
| Beachcomber Takeaway/sandwich shop | 260 yards away | 5 - Very good | 6 August 2025 |
| Bike And Boot Inn Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 284 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 July 2025 |
| Cask And Keg Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 348 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 April 2026 |
| Cafe Italia Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 423 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 March 2025 |
| Bonnet And Sons Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 November 2025 |
| Costcutter Express Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 19 June 2024 |
| Brew And Bao Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 October 2025 |
Questions about The Highlander Hotel
What is The Highlander Hotel's food hygiene rating?
The Highlander Hotel has a food hygiene rating of 2 out of 5 (some improvement necessary), given by North Yorkshire Council on 5 June 2025.
Is The Highlander Hotel safe to eat at?
A 2 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The pub 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 Highlander Hotel last inspected?
The Highlander Hotel was last inspected on 5 June 2025, 13 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 Highlander Hotel?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "improvement necessary", 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 Highlander Hotel compare to other places in North Yorkshire?
86% of the 6,226 rated food businesses in North Yorkshire hold the top rating of 5, while The Highlander Hotel holds a 2. 56 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
North Yorkshire Council inspects The Highlander Hotel 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 Highlander Hotel 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 2 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 North Yorkshire, 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: North Yorkshire
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Highlander Hotel is one of 858 rated food businesses in Scarborough. See every hygiene rating in Scarborough →
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 →