The Spire and Spoke food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · South Oxfordshire
The Spire and Spoke holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the pub 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 5 November 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: 21 Hill Road, Watlington, Oxon, OX49 5AD
How it compares in South Oxfordshire
In South Oxfordshire, 71% of rated places manage a 5, so The Spire and Spoke sits behind roughly 808 nearby businesses. 16% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 808 | 71% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 186 | 16% | ← The Spire and Spoke | |
| 3 out of 5 | 120 | 11% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 17 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 5 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 116 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 Spire and Spoke 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 Spire and Spoke, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingfisher Fish & Chips Takeaway/sandwich shop | 190 yards away | 2 - Some improvement necessary | 4 February 2026 |
| Fat Fox Inn Watlington Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 201 yards away | 4 - Good | 29 January 2026 |
| So Sustainable Retailers - other | 207 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 August 2020 |
| Central Co-operative Retailers - other | 207 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 April 2025 |
| The Undercroft Market Retailers - other | 219 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 August 2023 |
| House of Spice Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 238 yards away | 3 - Generally satisfactory | 8 October 2025 |
| Ox Club Ltd Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 241 yards away | 3 - Generally satisfactory | 23 January 2026 |
| Calnan Brothers Retailers - other | 250 yards away | 4 - Good | 20 August 2025 |
Questions about The Spire and Spoke
What is The Spire and Spoke's food hygiene rating?
The Spire and Spoke has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by South Oxfordshire Council on 5 November 2025.
Is The Spire and Spoke 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 pub to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Spire and Spoke last inspected?
The Spire and Spoke was last inspected on 5 November 2025, 8 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by South Oxfordshire Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Spire and Spoke?
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 Spire and Spoke compare to other places in South Oxfordshire?
71% of the 1,136 rated food businesses in South Oxfordshire hold the top rating of 5, while The Spire and Spoke holds a 4. 186 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
South Oxfordshire Council inspects The Spire and Spoke 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 Spire and Spoke 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 Spire and Spoke is one of 430 rated food businesses in Oxon. See every hygiene rating in Oxon →
South Oxfordshire inspects and rates 1,252 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in South Oxfordshire →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.southoxon.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 →