Five Bells food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · West Northamptonshire
Five Bells holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The pub met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 30 March 2026, 3 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: 14 Church Lane, Bugbrooke, NN7 3PB
How it compares in West Northamptonshire
In West Northamptonshire, 78% of rated places manage a 5, so Five Bells sits behind roughly 2,942 nearby businesses. 8% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 2,565 | 78% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 377 | 11% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 251 | 8% | ← Five Bells | |
| 2 out of 5 | 39 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 44 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 9 | <1% |
A further 772 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 Generally satisfactory
- 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 Five Bells 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 Five Bells, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bugbrooke Food Bank Retailers - other | 166 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 April 2025 |
| Bugbrooke Community Cafe CIC Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 187 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 May 2025 |
| Philippa's Ltd Retailers - other | 370 yards away | 4 - Good | 9 October 2024 |
| Bakers Arms Bugbrooke Pub/bar/nightclub | 380 yards away | 1 - Major improvement necessary | 7 November 2025 |
| Bugbrooke Pre-school Caring Premises | 386 yards away | 5 - Very good | 2 May 2025 |
| The Village Takeaway Takeaway/sandwich shop | 418 yards away | 4 - Good | 10 February 2022 |
| Londis Retailers - other | 429 yards away | 4 - Good | 25 May 2022 |
| Bugbrooke Out of School Club School/college/university | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 June 2024 |
Questions about Five Bells
What is Five Bells's food hygiene rating?
Five Bells has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by West Northamptonshire Council on 30 March 2026.
Is Five Bells safe to eat at?
A 3 means the pub met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was Five Bells last inspected?
Five Bells was last inspected on 30 March 2026, 3 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by West Northamptonshire Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Five Bells?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Five Bells compare to other places in West Northamptonshire?
78% of the 3,285 rated food businesses in West Northamptonshire hold the top rating of 5, while Five Bells holds a 3. 251 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
West Northamptonshire Council inspects Five Bells 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 Five Bells and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Five Bells is one of 20 rated food businesses in Bugbrooke. See every hygiene rating in Bugbrooke →
West Northamptonshire inspects and rates 4,057 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in West Northamptonshire →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.westnorthants.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 →