Bridges Cafe food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · New Forest
Bridges Cafe holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the restaurant met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
The rating dates from 14 January 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: 26 High Street, Fordingbridge, SP6 1AX
How it compares in New Forest
That puts Bridges Cafe among the 1,154 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.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,154 | 80% | ← Bridges Cafe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 183 | 13% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 68 | 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 Very good
- How well they manage food safety Very 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 Bridges Cafe 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 Bridges Cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belinda's Bakery Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 6 October 2025 |
| Co-Operative Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | at this address | 5 - Very good | 23 February 2026 |
| The Crown Inn Pub/bar/nightclub | at this address | 4 - Good | 24 November 2025 |
| The Ship Inn Pub/bar/nightclub | at this address | 3 - Generally satisfactory | 5 November 2024 |
| Dominic Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 8 yards away | 4 - Good | 26 January 2026 |
| The Gourmet Grocer Retailers - other | 41 yards away | 5 - Very good | 6 December 2019 |
| Philpotts Takeaway/sandwich shop | 41 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 March 2026 |
| The Cottage Loaf Retailers - other | 41 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 February 2025 |
Questions about Bridges Cafe
What is Bridges Cafe's food hygiene rating?
Bridges Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by New Forest Council on 14 January 2025.
Is Bridges Cafe 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 restaurant to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was Bridges Cafe last inspected?
Bridges Cafe was last inspected on 14 January 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 Bridges Cafe?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "very good", and confidence in the management of food safety "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Bridges Cafe 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 Bridges Cafe is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
New Forest Council inspects Bridges Cafe 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 Bridges Cafe 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
Bridges Cafe is one of 90 rated food businesses in Fordingbridge. See every hygiene rating in Fordingbridge →
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 →