The Five Bells food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Lewes
The 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
This is a fresh result: The Five Bells was inspected on 15 July 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.
This sits in the middle for Lewes, where 1% of rated places score below 3 and 95% score 4 or 5. See all Lewes ratings →
Address: The Five Bells Chailey Green Road, Chailey Green, BN8 4DA
⚠️ The lowest-rated places near The Five Bells
These food businesses close to this one were rated 0 to 2 at their last inspection, the lowest ratings. Tap any to see why.
How this rating has changed
The Five Bells has gone backwards: it held a 4 before its inspection on 15 July 2026, and now holds a 3.
| Inspected | Rating | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 15 July 2026 | 4 3 | Worse |
The FSA publishes only a business's current rating. This history is our own record of what it has scored since we began watching.
How it compares in Lewes
In Lewes, 85% of rated places manage a 5, so The Five Bells sits behind roughly 816 nearby businesses. 3% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 731 | 85% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 85 | 10% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 26 | 3% | ← The Five Bells | |
| 2 out of 5 | 2 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 12 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 89 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 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 The 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 The Five Bells, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Peters C Of E Primary School School/college/university | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 3 October 2025 |
| Toddlers Inn Nursery School School/college/university | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 September 2025 |
| Yohan’s Chocolate Shop Retailers - other | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 February 2026 |
Questions about The Five Bells
What is The Five Bells's food hygiene rating?
The Five Bells has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Lewes Council on 15 July 2026.
Is The 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 The Five Bells last inspected?
The Five Bells was last inspected on 15 July 2026, a month ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Lewes Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Five Bells?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", 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 The Five Bells compare to other places in Lewes?
85% of the 856 rated food businesses in Lewes hold the top rating of 5, while The Five Bells holds a 3. 26 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Lewes Council inspects The 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 The 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
Lewes inspects and rates 945 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Lewes →
The official record is held by the council: http://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 →