The Walters Arms food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Wokingham
The Walters Arms holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the pub and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 21 October 2025, 8 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 Walters Arms, Bearwood Road, Sindlesham, RG41 5BP
How it compares in Wokingham
A 1 is rare: only 16 of 1,061 rated places in Wokingham score this low, about one in 66. By contrast 80% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 848 | 80% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 128 | 12% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 65 | 6% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 4 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 16 | 2% | ← The Walters Arms | |
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 70 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 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 Walters Arms the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled, 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 Walters Arms, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caterplus @ Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh Court Caring Premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 July 2025 |
| Compass Group @ Gather & Gather Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 31 October 2025 |
| Caravan Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 January 2025 |
| Best Western Moat House Hotel Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 November 2025 |
| Bearwood Lakes Golf Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 December 2025 |
| Culinera @ The Hawthorns Primary School School/college/university | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 September 2025 |
| BP Triangle Garage Retailers - other | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 September 2024 |
| Abbeyfield Winnersh Caring Premises | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 30 April 2026 |
Questions about The Walters Arms
What is The Walters Arms's food hygiene rating?
The Walters Arms has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Wokingham Council on 21 October 2025.
Is The Walters Arms safe to eat at?
A 1 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 Walters Arms last inspected?
The Walters Arms was last inspected on 21 October 2025, 8 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Wokingham Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Walters Arms?
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 "major improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Walters Arms compare to other places in Wokingham?
80% of the 1,061 rated food businesses in Wokingham hold the top rating of 5, while The Walters Arms holds a 1. 16 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Wokingham Council inspects The Walters 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 Walters 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 Wokingham, 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: Wokingham
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Walters Arms is one of 16 rated food businesses in Sindlesham. See every hygiene rating in Sindlesham →
Wokingham inspects and rates 1,131 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Wokingham →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.wokingham.gov.uk/welcome/
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 →