The Hairy Lemon food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Birmingham
The Hairy Lemon holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the pub 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 23 August 2011, more than 14 years ago. A lot can change in a kitchen in that time, and a rating this old says more about the business then than now. Councils prioritise re-inspecting higher-risk premises, so a long gap often means the business is considered low-risk.
Address: Illeybrook Square, Birmingham, B32 3DD
How it compares in Birmingham
In Birmingham, 66% of rated places manage a 5, so The Hairy Lemon sits behind roughly 5,380 nearby businesses. 16% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 5,380 | 66% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 1,309 | 16% | ← The Hairy Lemon | |
| 3 out of 5 | 695 | 9% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 318 | 4% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 387 | 5% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 82 | 1% |
A further 1,866 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 Good
- 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 Hairy Lemon 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 Hairy Lemon, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bartley Green Leisure Centre Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 9 February 2010 |
| Asda Cafe, Asda Store Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 13 September 2024 |
| Asda Stores Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 13 December 2019 |
| Bartley Sailing Club Ltd Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 December 2022 |
| Bartley Green Lodge Caring Premises | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 9 October 2025 |
| B & G Liquor Store Retailers - other | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 September 2009 |
| Best-One Quinton Stores Retailers - other | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 October 2009 |
Questions about The Hairy Lemon
What is The Hairy Lemon's food hygiene rating?
The Hairy Lemon has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Birmingham Council on 23 August 2011.
Is The Hairy Lemon 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 pub to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Hairy Lemon last inspected?
The Hairy Lemon was last inspected on 23 August 2011, more than 14 years ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Birmingham Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Hairy Lemon?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", 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 Hairy Lemon compare to other places in Birmingham?
66% of the 8,171 rated food businesses in Birmingham hold the top rating of 5, while The Hairy Lemon holds a 4. 1,309 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Birmingham Council inspects The Hairy Lemon 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 Hairy Lemon and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Birmingham inspects and rates 10,037 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Birmingham →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/environmental-health
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 →