The Plough Inn food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · New Forest
The Plough Inn holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The pub met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 17 November 2025, 7 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: Sway Road, Tiptoe, Lymington, SO41 6FQ
How it compares in New Forest
In New Forest, 80% of rated places manage a 5, so The Plough Inn sits behind roughly 1,336 nearby businesses. 5% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,153 | 80% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 183 | 13% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 69 | 5% | ← The Plough Inn | |
| 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
- Hygienic food handling Generally satisfactory
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- 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 Plough Inn 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 Plough Inn, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Danestream Farm Shop Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 March 2026 |
| Health and Independent Living Support (Hils) Distributors/Transporters | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 November 2024 |
| NISA Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 February 2026 |
| Hoburne Bashley Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 October 2024 |
| Deerhurst Caring Premises | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 August 2016 |
| Muddy Puddles Pre-School Caring Premises | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 January 2019 |
| Bashley (Rydal) Cricket Club Retailers - other | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 9 September 2024 |
| Bashley Football Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 30 November 2021 |
Questions about The Plough Inn
What is The Plough Inn's food hygiene rating?
The Plough Inn has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by New Forest Council on 17 November 2025.
Is The Plough Inn safe to eat at?
A 3 means the pub met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was The Plough Inn last inspected?
The Plough Inn was last inspected on 17 November 2025, 7 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 Plough Inn?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", 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 Plough Inn compare to other places in New Forest?
80% of the 1,435 rated food businesses in New Forest hold the top rating of 5, while The Plough Inn holds a 3. 69 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
New Forest Council inspects The Plough Inn 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 Plough Inn 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 Plough Inn is one of 252 rated food businesses in Lymington. See every hygiene rating in Lymington →
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 →