The Happy Cheese food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · New Forest
The Happy Cheese 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 15 December 2025, 6 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: 189 Lyndhurst Road, Ashurst, Southampton, SO40 7AR
How it compares in New Forest
That puts The Happy Cheese among the 1,153 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 | 1,153 | 80% | ← The Happy Cheese | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 183 | 13% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 69 | 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 Very good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Good
- 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 Happy Cheese 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 Happy Cheese, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASHA Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 3 March 2026 |
| Merritts Coffee Lounge Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 25 May 2024 |
| Ashurst Campsite Retailers - other | 44 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 May 2024 |
| Ashurst Pre-School School/college/university | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 April 2025 |
| Foxhills County Junior School School/college/university | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 October 2025 |
| Foxhills Infant School School/college/university | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 October 2025 |
| New Forest Child Care Cic Foxhills Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 January 2018 |
Questions about The Happy Cheese
What is The Happy Cheese's food hygiene rating?
The Happy Cheese has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by New Forest Council on 15 December 2025.
Is The Happy Cheese 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 Happy Cheese last inspected?
The Happy Cheese was last inspected on 15 December 2025, 6 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 Happy Cheese?
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 Happy Cheese 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 Happy Cheese is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
New Forest Council inspects The Happy Cheese 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 Happy Cheese 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 Happy Cheese is one of 18 rated food businesses in Ashurst. See every hygiene rating in Ashurst →
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 →