The Oak At Sockets Heath food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Thurrock
The Oak At Sockets Heath 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 14 March 2026, 3 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 Oak, Lodge Lane, Grays, RM17 5RZ
How it compares in Thurrock
That puts The Oak At Sockets Heath among the 834 places in Thurrock holding top marks, 71% 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.
| 5 out of 5 | 834 | 71% | ← The Oak At Sockets Heath | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 228 | 20% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 85 | 7% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 122 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 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 Oak At Sockets Heath 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 Oak At Sockets Heath, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| D Johnson And Sons Butchers Retailers - other | at this address | 5 - Very good | 19 February 2026 |
| Eggfree Cakes Box Takeaway/sandwich shop | 2 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 August 2021 |
| Chen's Garden Takeaway/sandwich shop | 58 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 September 2024 |
| Blackshots Leisure Centre Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 362 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 January 2025 |
| Esso Daneholes Retailers - other | 366 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 July 2025 |
| Deneholm Primary School School/college/university | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 May 2025 |
| Domino's Pizza Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 October 2024 |
| Essex Grill 2 Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 June 2025 |
Questions about The Oak At Sockets Heath
What is The Oak At Sockets Heath's food hygiene rating?
The Oak At Sockets Heath has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Thurrock Council on 14 March 2026.
Is The Oak At Sockets Heath 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 The Oak At Sockets Heath last inspected?
The Oak At Sockets Heath was last inspected on 14 March 2026, 3 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Thurrock Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Oak At Sockets Heath?
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 The Oak At Sockets Heath compare to other places in Thurrock?
71% of the 1,168 rated food businesses in Thurrock hold the top rating of 5, and The Oak At Sockets Heath is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Thurrock Council inspects The Oak At Sockets Heath 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 Oak At Sockets Heath 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 Oak At Sockets Heath is one of 262 rated food businesses in Grays. See every hygiene rating in Grays →
Thurrock inspects and rates 1,290 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Thurrock →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.thurrock.gov.uk/food
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 →