5

The Trusty Servant food hygiene rating

Pub/bar/nightclub · New Forest

The Trusty Servant 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 November 2025, 8 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: Church Lane, Minstead, Lyndhurst, SO43 7FY

How it compares in New Forest

That puts The Trusty Servant 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.

Every rated food business in New Forest
5 out of 5 1,154 80% ← The Trusty Servant
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

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 Trusty Servant 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 Trusty Servant, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Minstead Community Shop Other catering premises 3 yards away 5 - Very good 21 September 2020
Minstead Study Centre School/college/university 0.4 miles away 3 - Generally satisfactory 12 January 2026
Minstead Social Club Pub/bar/nightclub 0.5 miles away 5 - Very good 10 July 2013
Minstead Auctions Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 0.5 miles away 4 - Good 10 February 2025
Minstead Lodge Pub/bar/nightclub 0.7 miles away 5 - Very good 9 March 2026
Furzey Tea Rooms Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 0.8 miles away 5 - Very good 23 March 2026
New Forest Outdoor Centre Other catering premises 1.0 miles away 4 - Good 11 November 2022

Questions about The Trusty Servant

What is The Trusty Servant's food hygiene rating?

The Trusty Servant has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by New Forest Council on 1 November 2025.

Is The Trusty Servant 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 Trusty Servant last inspected?

The Trusty Servant was last inspected on 1 November 2025, 8 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 The Trusty Servant?

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 "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.

How does The Trusty Servant 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 The Trusty Servant is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

New Forest Council inspects The Trusty Servant 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 Trusty Servant 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

The Trusty Servant is one of 82 rated food businesses in Lyndhurst. See every hygiene rating in Lyndhurst

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 →