The Pilot Inn food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Eastbourne
The Pilot Inn 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 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 Pilot 89 Meads Street, Eastbourne, BN20 7RW
How it compares in Eastbourne
That puts The Pilot Inn among the 796 places in Eastbourne holding top marks, 85% 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 | 796 | 85% | ← The Pilot Inn | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 109 | 12% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 21 | 2% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 3 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 12 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 97 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling 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 Pilot Inn 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 Pilot Inn, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cadence Retailers - other | 125 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 January 2026 |
| All Saints Chapel Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 201 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 February 2025 |
| Black Cat Tea Rooms Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 283 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 November 2024 |
| Camelot Retirement Home Caring Premises | 311 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 March 2025 |
| Chapman Wine Merchants Retailers - other | 338 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 August 2025 |
| Cook Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 August 2024 |
| Beachy Rise Guest House Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 July 2024 |
| Breakfast & Afternoon Club @ St Johns Meads CE Primary School School/college/university | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 July 2025 |
Questions about The Pilot Inn
What is The Pilot Inn's food hygiene rating?
The Pilot Inn has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Eastbourne Council on 16 October 2025.
Is The Pilot Inn 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 Pilot Inn last inspected?
The Pilot Inn was last inspected on 16 October 2025, 8 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Eastbourne Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Pilot Inn?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "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 Pilot Inn compare to other places in Eastbourne?
85% of the 942 rated food businesses in Eastbourne hold the top rating of 5, and The Pilot Inn is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Eastbourne Council inspects The Pilot Inn 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 Pilot Inn and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Eastbourne inspects and rates 1,039 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Eastbourne →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.lewes-eastbourne.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 →