5

Red Lion food hygiene rating

Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Cheshire West and Chester

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

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 30 October 2024, 20 months ago. That is getting on for the longest gap councils usually leave, so the score may not reflect how the business is run today.

Address: The Red Lion 59 Northgate Street, Chester, CH1 2HQ

How it compares in Cheshire West and Chester

That puts Red Lion among the 2,139 places in Cheshire West and Chester holding top marks, 80% 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 Cheshire West and Chester
5 out of 5 2,139 80% ← Red Lion
4 out of 5 308 12%
3 out of 5 145 5%
2 out of 5 33 1%
1 out of 5 37 1%
0 out of 5 2 <1%

A further 309 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 Red Lion 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 Red Lion, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Augusto Pizzeria Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 10 yards away 5 - Very good 22 February 2025
Blue Bell 1494 Ltd Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 17 yards away 5 - Very good 23 May 2026
Bollicini Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 72 yards away 5 - Very good 17 October 2025
Abbey School for Exceptional Children School/college/university 116 yards away 5 - Very good 26 February 2026
Cafe Gate Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 125 yards away 5 - Very good 22 April 2026
Big Lola's Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 164 yards away 5 - Very good 11 June 2025
Bean & Cole Ltd Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 164 yards away 5 - Very good 19 October 2023
Bull And Stirrup Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 168 yards away 5 - Very good 19 February 2026

Questions about Red Lion

What is Red Lion's food hygiene rating?

Red Lion has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Cheshire West and Chester Council on 30 October 2024.

Is Red Lion 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 restaurant to be very good, the top end of the scale.

When was Red Lion last inspected?

Red Lion was last inspected on 30 October 2024, 20 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Cheshire West and Chester Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at Red Lion?

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 Red Lion compare to other places in Cheshire West and Chester?

80% of the 2,664 rated food businesses in Cheshire West and Chester hold the top rating of 5, and Red Lion is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Cheshire West and Chester Council inspects Red Lion 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 Red Lion and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

Red Lion is one of 1,134 rated food businesses in Chester. See every hygiene rating in Chester

Cheshire West and Chester inspects and rates 2,973 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Cheshire West and Chester

The official record is held by the council: http://www.cheshirewestandchester.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 →