The Cave food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · New Forest
The Cave holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the restaurant 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 6 August 2025, 11 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: 2 Church Hill, Milford-On-Sea, Lymington, SO41 0QH
How it compares in New Forest
In New Forest, 80% of rated places manage a 5, so The Cave sits behind roughly 1,153 nearby businesses. 13% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,153 | 80% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 183 | 13% | ← The Cave | |
| 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
- Hygienic food handling 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 Cave 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 Cave, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butchers on the Green Retailers - other | at this address | 4 - Good | 20 January 2026 |
| Mister Pink's Takeaway/sandwich shop | 12 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 February 2025 |
| The Paddle on the Green Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 12 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 December 2025 |
| Fuel Hair Mechanics Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 94 yards away | 5 - Very good | 13 October 2025 |
| BAKEHOUSE24 Ltd Retailers - other | 99 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 April 2026 |
| Monsoori Heights Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 109 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 September 2024 |
| Southern Co-Operative Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 109 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 March 2025 |
| Melleford Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 119 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 November 2024 |
Questions about The Cave
What is The Cave's food hygiene rating?
The Cave has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by New Forest Council on 6 August 2025.
Is The Cave 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 restaurant to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Cave last inspected?
The Cave was last inspected on 6 August 2025, 11 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 Cave?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "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 Cave 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 Cave holds a 4. 183 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
New Forest Council inspects The Cave 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 Cave 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 Cave 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 →