The Whalebone food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Norwich City
The Whalebone 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 10 June 2025, 13 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: 144 Magdalen Road, Norwich, NR3 4BA
How it compares in Norwich City
In Norwich City, 65% of rated places manage a 5, so The Whalebone sits behind roughly 889 nearby businesses. 24% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 889 | 65% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 330 | 24% | ← The Whalebone | |
| 3 out of 5 | 116 | 9% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 22 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 2 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 207 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 Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety 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 Whalebone 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 Whalebone, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| BestBargain Norwich Retailers - other | 213 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 October 2023 |
| Angel Road Infant & Nursey School School/college/university | 374 yards away | 5 - Very good | 3 December 2025 |
| Acorns After School Care School/college/university | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 October 2024 |
| Bread Source Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 December 2024 |
| Aldi Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 June 2023 |
| BaxterStorey - Mills And Reeve - Norwich Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 11 February 2026 |
| Aldi Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 24 April 2025 |
| Ali Tandoori Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 September 2025 |
Questions about The Whalebone
What is The Whalebone's food hygiene rating?
The Whalebone has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Norwich City Council on 10 June 2025.
Is The Whalebone 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 Whalebone last inspected?
The Whalebone was last inspected on 10 June 2025, 13 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Norwich City Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Whalebone?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Whalebone compare to other places in Norwich City?
65% of the 1,360 rated food businesses in Norwich City hold the top rating of 5, while The Whalebone holds a 4. 330 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Norwich City Council inspects The Whalebone 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 Whalebone and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
Free, for three businesses, forever. No password, we send you a link. How rating alerts work →
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Norwich City inspects and rates 1,567 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Norwich City →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.norwich.gov.uk/site/custom_scripts/eh/foodratings.html
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 →