The Heron food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Westmorland and Furness
The Heron holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the pub are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 29 January 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: The Heron, Esthwaite Avenue, LA9 7PG
How it compares in Westmorland and Furness
In Westmorland and Furness, 86% of rated places manage a 5, so The Heron sits behind roughly 2,390 nearby businesses. 10% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 2,390 | 86% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 269 | 10% | ← The Heron | |
| 3 out of 5 | 86 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 17 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 9 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 387 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Good
- 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 Heron 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 Heron, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heron Hill Care Home Caring Premises | 332 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 March 2025 |
| Heron Hill Primary School School/college/university | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 June 2025 |
| Kendal Care Home Caring Premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 March 2025 |
| ASDA Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 October 2025 |
| Asda Cafe Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 18 August 2025 |
| Appletree Treatment Centre Caring Premises | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 28 October 2022 |
| Hansens Creative Catering Ltd Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 June 2025 |
| Castle Stores Retailers - other | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 July 2025 |
Questions about The Heron
What is The Heron's food hygiene rating?
The Heron has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Westmorland and Furness Council on 29 January 2026.
Is The Heron safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this pub to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Heron last inspected?
The Heron was last inspected on 29 January 2026, 5 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Westmorland and Furness Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Heron?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", 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 Heron compare to other places in Westmorland and Furness?
86% of the 2,771 rated food businesses in Westmorland and Furness hold the top rating of 5, while The Heron holds a 4. 269 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Westmorland and Furness Council inspects The Heron 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 Heron 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 Heron is one of 314 rated food businesses in Kendal. See every hygiene rating in Kendal →
Westmorland and Furness inspects and rates 3,158 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Westmorland and Furness →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.westmorlandandfurness.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 →