The Ale House food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Reading
The Ale House 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
The rating dates from 23 April 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.
Address: 2 Broad Street, Reading, RG1 2BH
How it compares in Reading
In Reading, 65% of rated places manage a 5, so The Ale House sits behind roughly 1,129 nearby businesses. 11% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 881 | 65% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 248 | 18% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 148 | 11% | ← The Ale House | |
| 2 out of 5 | 39 | 3% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 41 | 3% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 5 | <1% |
A further 155 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Generally satisfactory
- 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 Ale House 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 Ale House, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caffe Nero Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 7 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 September 2025 |
| CakeCo Takeaway/sandwich shop | 116 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 September 2024 |
| Amò - Italian Street Food Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 131 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 May 2025 |
| 7 Flowers & Tea Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 165 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 March 2019 |
| Black Sheep Coffee Takeaway/sandwich shop | 211 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 October 2024 |
| Boots UK Ltd Retailers - other | 230 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 August 2025 |
| Baxter Storey at Ernest and Young Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 283 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 August 2024 |
| Boom Battle Bar Pub/bar/nightclub | 284 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 April 2026 |
Questions about The Ale House
What is The Ale House's food hygiene rating?
The Ale House has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Reading Council on 23 April 2026.
Is The Ale House 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 Ale House last inspected?
The Ale House was last inspected on 23 April 2026, 2 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Reading Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Ale House?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", 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 Ale House compare to other places in Reading?
65% of the 1,362 rated food businesses in Reading hold the top rating of 5, while The Ale House holds a 3. 148 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Reading Council inspects The Ale House 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 Ale House 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 →
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Reading inspects and rates 1,517 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Reading →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.reading.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 →