Merrie Garden food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Isle of Wight
Merrie Garden 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
This rating dates from 13 October 2025, but the business has been re-inspected and a new rating is awaiting publication, so the score shown here is about to change.
Address: The Merrie Garden, Merrie Farm Park, Sandown, PO36 9PT
How it compares in Isle of Wight
In Isle of Wight, 70% of rated places manage a 5, so Merrie Garden sits behind roughly 1,042 nearby businesses. 18% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,042 | 70% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 261 | 18% | ← Merrie Garden | |
| 3 out of 5 | 139 | 9% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 30 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 6 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 208 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 Merrie Garden 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 Merrie Garden, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| KFC - Lake IOW Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 8 June 2026 |
| Aldi Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 98 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 November 2016 |
| Broadlea Primary School - Compass School/college/university | 156 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 March 2025 |
| Morrisons Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 260 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 December 2024 |
| Central Convenience Store Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 27 August 2025 |
| Park Resorts Limited - Landguard Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 30 October 2025 |
| Lake Methodist Church Other catering premises | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 20 March 2025 |
| Lake Stores Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 18 April 2024 |
Questions about Merrie Garden
What is Merrie Garden's food hygiene rating?
Merrie Garden has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Isle of Wight Council on 13 October 2025.
Is Merrie Garden 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 Merrie Garden last inspected?
Merrie Garden was last inspected on 13 October 2025, 8 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Isle of Wight Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Merrie Garden?
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 Merrie Garden compare to other places in Isle of Wight?
70% of the 1,479 rated food businesses in Isle of Wight hold the top rating of 5, while Merrie Garden holds a 4. 261 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Isle of Wight Council inspects Merrie Garden 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 Merrie Garden and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Merrie Garden is one of 148 rated food businesses in Sandown. See every hygiene rating in Sandown →
Isle of Wight inspects and rates 1,687 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Isle of Wight →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.iow.gov.uk/environment-and-planning/community-protection-services/
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 →