5

The Plough food hygiene rating

Pub/bar/nightclub · Mid Sussex

The Plough 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 1 October 2024, 21 months ago. That is getting on for the longest gap councils usually leave, so the score may not reflect how the business is run today.

Address: The Plough Inn, London Road, Pyecombe, BN45 7FN

How it compares in Mid Sussex

That puts The Plough among the 1,031 places in Mid Sussex holding top marks, 83% 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 Mid Sussex
5 out of 5 1,031 83% ← The Plough
4 out of 5 127 10%
3 out of 5 60 5%
2 out of 5 14 1%
1 out of 5 16 1%
0 out of 5 1 <1%

A further 115 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 Plough 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, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Brendon Stud And Saddlery Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 188 yards away 5 - Very good 7 October 2025
Duck Lodge B&B Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house 325 yards away 5 - Very good 21 July 2022
Pangdean Other catering premises 0.5 miles away 5 - Very good 16 October 2025
Crepe Wagon Mobile caterer 0.7 miles away 5 - Very good 6 August 2025
Spar Shop Retailers - other 0.8 miles away 5 - Very good 27 May 2026

Questions about The Plough

What is The Plough's food hygiene rating?

The Plough has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Mid Sussex Council on 1 October 2024.

Is The Plough 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 Plough last inspected?

The Plough was last inspected on 1 October 2024, 21 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Mid Sussex Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at The Plough?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "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 The Plough compare to other places in Mid Sussex?

83% of the 1,249 rated food businesses in Mid Sussex hold the top rating of 5, and The Plough is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Mid Sussex Council inspects The Plough 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 and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

Mid Sussex inspects and rates 1,364 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Mid Sussex

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