5

Purple Turtle food hygiene rating

Pub/bar/nightclub · Reading

Purple Turtle holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the pub met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 24 July 2025, 11 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: 9 Gun Street, Reading, RG1 2JR

How it compares in Reading

That puts Purple Turtle among the 881 places in Reading holding top marks, 65% of everywhere the council rates. A 5 is the norm here rather than the exception, so it is the rating to expect, not to be impressed by.

Every rated food business in Reading
5 out of 5 881 65% ← Purple Turtle
4 out of 5 248 18%
3 out of 5 148 11%
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

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 Purple Turtle 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 Purple Turtle, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Be At One Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 48 yards away 5 - Very good 20 April 2023
AKA BBQ Station Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 142 yards away 5 - Very good 24 January 2025
Blue Collar Corner Pub/bar/nightclub 179 yards away 5 - Very good 21 August 2025
Auntie Anne's Pretzels at The Oracle Takeaway/sandwich shop 182 yards away 5 - Very good 5 November 2025
BB's Bakers & Baristas Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 182 yards away 5 - Very good 5 February 2026
Ben's Cookies at The Oracle Retailers - other 182 yards away 5 - Very good 14 February 2018
Buenasado Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 182 yards away 5 - Very good 30 October 2025
Bar Iguana Pub/bar/nightclub 200 yards away 5 - Very good 10 April 2025

Questions about Purple Turtle

What is Purple Turtle's food hygiene rating?

Purple Turtle has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Reading Council on 24 July 2025.

Is Purple Turtle safe to eat at?

The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 5 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this pub to be very good, the top end of the scale.

When was Purple Turtle last inspected?

Purple Turtle was last inspected on 24 July 2025, 11 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 Purple Turtle?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.

How does Purple Turtle compare to other places in Reading?

65% of the 1,362 rated food businesses in Reading hold the top rating of 5, and Purple Turtle is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Reading Council inspects Purple Turtle 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 Purple Turtle and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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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 →