The Fox & Hounds Country Inn food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · West Lindsey
The Fox & Hounds Country Inn holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the pub and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 2 July 2026, 2 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.
Only 4% of rated food businesses in West Lindsey score 0 to 2 like this, so a low rating here is the exception, not the norm. See all West Lindsey ratings →
Address: Gainsborough Road, Willingham by Stow
How this rating has changed
The Fox & Hounds Country Inn has gone backwards: it held a 4 before its inspection on 2 July 2026, and now holds a 1. A rating of 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix.
| Inspected | Rating | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2 July 2026 | 4 1 | 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 West Lindsey
A 1 is rare: only 21 of 714 rated places in West Lindsey score this low, about one in 34. By contrast 84% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 598 | 84% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 55 | 8% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 36 | 5% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 0 | 0% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 21 | 3% | ← The Fox & Hounds Country Inn | |
| 0 out of 5 | 4 | 1% |
A further 170 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Improvement necessary
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Improvement necessary
- How well they manage food safety Major improvement necessary
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 Fox & Hounds Country Inn the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled, the condition of the premises and confidence in management. Because the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, that is what holds the score down.
Questions about The Fox & Hounds Country Inn
What is The Fox & Hounds Country Inn's food hygiene rating?
The Fox & Hounds Country Inn has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by West Lindsey Council on 2 July 2026.
Is The Fox & Hounds Country Inn safe to eat at?
A 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The pub is not shut down, a rating is not a closure order, but standards were found to be below what the law expects at the time of inspection.
When was The Fox & Hounds Country Inn last inspected?
The Fox & Hounds Country Inn was last inspected on 2 July 2026, 2 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by West Lindsey Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Fox & Hounds Country Inn?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "improvement necessary", and confidence in the management of food safety "major improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Fox & Hounds Country Inn compare to other places in West Lindsey?
84% of the 714 rated food businesses in West Lindsey hold the top rating of 5, while The Fox & Hounds Country Inn holds a 1. 21 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
West Lindsey Council inspects The Fox & Hounds Country 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 Fox & Hounds Country Inn and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
Free, for three businesses, forever. No password, we send you a link. How rating alerts work →
Is this your business?
A rating of 1 is public, and most customers look. Only 18% of people say they would order from a business rated 2 or below, against 94% from one rated 4. Delivery platforms may decline to list you.
We cannot change this rating, and nor can you. It was set by an environmental health officer at West Lindsey, and it stands until they inspect again. What you can do:
- Fix what the inspector found, then ask the council for a re-inspection. Most charge between £120 and £316, and will not re-visit within three months of the original inspection.
- If you believe the rating is simply wrong, you have 21 days from being notified to appeal to the council. That is 21 calendar days, not working days.
- You may submit a right to reply at any time. It is published alongside the rating, here, and on the FSA's own site.
What a low rating means → · How re-inspections and appeals work →
Your council: West Lindsey
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Fox & Hounds Country Inn is one of 261 rated food businesses in Gainsborough. See every hygiene rating in Gainsborough →
West Lindsey inspects and rates 884 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in West Lindsey →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.west-lindsey.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 →