5

The Royal Oak food hygiene rating

Pub/bar/nightclub · New Forest

The Royal Oak 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 11 February 2025, 17 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: Hill Top, Beaulieu, Brockenhurst, SO42 7YR

How it compares in New Forest

That puts The Royal Oak among the 1,153 places in New Forest 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 New Forest
5 out of 5 1,153 80% ← The Royal Oak
4 out of 5 183 13%
3 out of 5 69 5%
2 out of 5 6 <1%
1 out of 5 23 2%
0 out of 5 1 <1%

A further 138 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 The Royal Oak 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 Royal Oak, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Beaulieu Enterpises Ltd Retailers - other 1.2 miles away 5 - Very good 16 October 2023
Leiths at Beaulieu Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 1.2 miles away 5 - Very good 24 October 2024
The Montagu Arms Hotel Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house 1.4 miles away 5 - Very good 20 February 2025
Bellord and Brown Retailers - other 1.4 miles away 5 - Very good 28 January 2026
Chocolate Studio Ltd Retailers - other 1.4 miles away 5 - Very good 26 September 2013
Queensmead Village Shop Retailers - other 1.4 miles away 5 - Very good 24 May 2021
The Beaulieu Bakehouse Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 1.4 miles away 5 - Very good 19 November 2025
Cameo Lunch Club Other catering premises 1.5 miles away 5 - Very good 20 November 2025

Questions about The Royal Oak

What is The Royal Oak's food hygiene rating?

The Royal Oak has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by New Forest Council on 11 February 2025.

Is The Royal Oak 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 Royal Oak last inspected?

The Royal Oak was last inspected on 11 February 2025, 17 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by New Forest Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at The Royal Oak?

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 "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.

How does The Royal Oak compare to other places in New Forest?

80% of the 1,435 rated food businesses in New Forest hold the top rating of 5, and The Royal Oak is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

New Forest Council inspects The Royal Oak 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 Royal Oak 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 Royal Oak is one of 84 rated food businesses in Brockenhurst. See every hygiene rating in Brockenhurst

New Forest inspects and rates 1,573 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in New Forest

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