The Plough food hygiene rating

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 10 February 2026, 5 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: 24 Bondgate Without, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 1PN

How it compares in Northumberland

That puts The Plough among the 2,779 places in Northumberland holding top marks, 90% 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 Northumberland

5 out of 5		2,779	90%	← The Plough
4 out of 5		214	7%
3 out of 5		67	2%
2 out of 5		7	<1%
1 out of 5		8	<1%
0 out of 5		2	<1%

A further 397 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.

What the inspector found

• Hygienic food handling Very good
• Cleanliness & condition of the building Very good
• How well they manage food safety Very good

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 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.

Understanding this rating

• What does a 0 food hygiene rating mean? A 0 means the inspector found serious problems and urgent improvement is necessary. It is the lowest rating the scheme gives, but it is not a closure order, and a business with a 0 can, and usually does, keep trading while it puts things right.
• Does a low hygiene rating mean the food is unsafe? A low rating tells you that an inspector found problems on a particular day. It is not a measurement of the food, it is not a prediction, and it is not a verdict on whether you will get ill. It is the best single signal a member of the public has, and it is a snapshot.
• Does a business have to display its hygiene rating? It depends where you are. In Wales and Northern Ireland a food business must display its rating where you can read it before you go in. In England it is voluntary, a business there can legally show you nothing.

More food hygiene ratings near here

The Plough is one of 152 rated food businesses in Alnwick. See every hygiene rating in Alnwick →

Northumberland inspects and rates 3,474 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Northumberland →

The official record is held by the council: http://www.northumberland.gov.uk