The Plough Inn food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Reading
The Plough Inn 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 21 May 2025, 13 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: 78 School Road, Tilehurst, Reading, RG31 5AW
How it compares in Reading
In Reading, 65% of rated places manage a 5, so The Plough Inn 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 Plough Inn | |
| 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 Plough Inn 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 Plough Inn, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cake and Beyond Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 44 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 April 2026 |
| Caterlink at Park Lane Primary Junior School School/college/university | 255 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 March 2026 |
| Co-operative Food Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 354 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 July 2018 |
| Blip Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 360 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 January 2026 |
| Asda Service Station Retailers - other | 372 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 November 2025 |
| Crumbs Food Co at Meadow Park Academy School/college/university | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 June 2024 |
| Cornerstones/A2Dominion Caring Premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 27 November 2025 |
| Churchend Primary Academy Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 May 2026 |
Questions about The Plough Inn
What is The Plough Inn's food hygiene rating?
The Plough Inn has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Reading Council on 21 May 2025.
Is The Plough Inn 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 Plough Inn last inspected?
The Plough Inn was last inspected on 21 May 2025, 13 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 Plough Inn?
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 Plough Inn compare to other places in Reading?
65% of the 1,362 rated food businesses in Reading hold the top rating of 5, while The Plough Inn holds a 3. 148 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Reading Council inspects The Plough 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 Plough Inn 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 Plough Inn is one of 82 rated food businesses in Tilehurst. See every hygiene rating in Tilehurst →
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 →