The Blue Lion food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · North Yorkshire
The Blue Lion holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the pub are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 13 January 2026, 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: The Blue Lion Inn East Witton, DL8 4SN
How it compares in North Yorkshire
In North Yorkshire, 86% of rated places manage a 5, so The Blue Lion sits behind roughly 5,364 nearby businesses. 9% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 5,364 | 86% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 544 | 9% | ← The Blue Lion | |
| 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 Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety Very 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 Blue 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 Blue Lion, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Cover Bridge Inn Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 November 2025 |
| S W Adamson Distributors/Transporters | 1.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 3 September 2025 |
| The Black Bull Inn Pub/bar/nightclub | 1.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 30 September 2024 |
| Jervaulx Abbey Tearooms Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 1.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 7 November 2022 |
| Middleham FIsh And Chips Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 1.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 May 2026 |
| The Dante Arms Pub/bar/nightclub | 1.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 October 2025 |
| The Wensleydale Hotel & Tack Room Restaurant Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 1.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 November 2025 |
| Fairhurst Catering Ltd Mobile caterer | 1.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 April 2025 |
Questions about The Blue Lion
What is The Blue Lion's food hygiene rating?
The Blue Lion has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by North Yorkshire Council on 13 January 2026.
Is The Blue Lion safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this pub to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Blue Lion last inspected?
The Blue Lion was last inspected on 13 January 2026, 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 Blue Lion?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Blue Lion 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 Blue Lion holds a 4. 544 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
North Yorkshire Council inspects The Blue 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 Blue 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
The Blue Lion is one of 53 rated food businesses in Leyburn. See every hygiene rating in Leyburn →
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 →