The Spotted Dog Cafe food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Lewes
The Spotted Dog Cafe holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the restaurant 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 3 July 2025, 12 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: 21 High Street, Seaford, BN25 1PE
How it compares in Lewes
In Lewes, 85% of rated places manage a 5, so The Spotted Dog Cafe sits behind roughly 740 nearby businesses. 10% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 740 | 85% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 89 | 10% | ← The Spotted Dog Cafe | |
| 3 out of 5 | 25 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 4 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 11 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 90 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 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 Spotted Dog Cafe 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 Spotted Dog Cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gabriella's Fruit & Veg Retailers - other | 35 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 February 2025 |
| Evina’s Cafe Limited Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 49 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 July 2025 |
| 12RUB BBQ Café & Grillhouse Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 62 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 March 2026 |
| New Sun Rise Takeaway/sandwich shop | 70 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 June 2025 |
| Osbornes Fish Bar Takeaway/sandwich shop | 70 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 January 2026 |
| Church Lane Tearoom Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 73 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 February 2025 |
| Roys Liquor Store Retailers - other | 75 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 June 2023 |
| Collins Family Restaurant T/A The Grumpy Chef Ltd Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 80 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 March 2026 |
Questions about The Spotted Dog Cafe
What is The Spotted Dog Cafe's food hygiene rating?
The Spotted Dog Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Lewes Council on 3 July 2025.
Is The Spotted Dog Cafe 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 restaurant to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Spotted Dog Cafe last inspected?
The Spotted Dog Cafe was last inspected on 3 July 2025, 12 months 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 Spotted Dog Cafe?
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 "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Spotted Dog Cafe compare to other places in Lewes?
85% of the 870 rated food businesses in Lewes hold the top rating of 5, while The Spotted Dog Cafe holds a 4. 89 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Lewes Council inspects The Spotted Dog Cafe 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 Spotted Dog Cafe 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 Spotted Dog Cafe is one of 148 rated food businesses in Seaford. See every hygiene rating in Seaford →
Lewes inspects and rates 960 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 →