The Pilot food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Wiltshire
The Pilot holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The pub met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 26 March 2025, 15 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: The Pilot Blenheim Park, Bowerhill, SN12 6TA
How it compares in Wiltshire
In Wiltshire, 81% of rated places manage a 5, so The Pilot sits behind roughly 2,712 nearby businesses. 6% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 2,382 | 81% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 330 | 11% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 172 | 6% | ← The Pilot | |
| 2 out of 5 | 25 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 30 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 4 | <1% |
A further 1,266 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Generally satisfactory
- 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 Pilot 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 Pilot, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesco Express Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 64 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 July 2022 |
| ABC Day Nursery (Melksham) Ltd. Caring Premises | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 November 2025 |
| Tolchards Ltd Distributors/Transporters | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 7 July 2022 |
| Boomerang Ltd Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 March 2025 |
| The Milk Churn Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 November 2022 |
| Lovejoys Wholesale Ltd Distributors/Transporters | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 March 2025 |
| Greggs Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 July 2024 |
| Melksham RFC Other catering premises | 0.8 miles away | 3 - Generally satisfactory | 20 June 2025 |
Questions about The Pilot
What is The Pilot's food hygiene rating?
The Pilot has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Wiltshire Council on 26 March 2025.
Is The Pilot safe to eat at?
A 3 means the pub met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was The Pilot last inspected?
The Pilot was last inspected on 26 March 2025, 15 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Wiltshire Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Pilot?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", 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 Pilot compare to other places in Wiltshire?
81% of the 2,943 rated food businesses in Wiltshire hold the top rating of 5, while The Pilot holds a 3. 172 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Wiltshire Council inspects The Pilot 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 Pilot 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
Wiltshire inspects and rates 4,209 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Wiltshire →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.wiltshire.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 →