The Plough food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Norwich City
The Plough 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 17 January 2026, 5 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: 58 St Benedicts Street, Norwich, NR2 4AR
How it compares in Norwich City
In Norwich City, 65% of rated places manage a 5, so The Plough sits behind roughly 1,219 nearby businesses. 9% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 889 | 65% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 330 | 24% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 116 | 9% | ← The Plough | |
| 2 out of 5 | 22 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 2 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 207 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 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 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arboretum Pub/bar/nightclub | 21 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 March 2024 |
| Bare Food Deli Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 165 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 October 2025 |
| Benedicts Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 230 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 March 2026 |
| Billys Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 238 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 November 2025 |
| Alchemista Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 246 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 February 2025 |
| Athena Games Retailers - other | 246 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 December 2024 |
| Blossom Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 256 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 December 2025 |
| Bread Source Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 256 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 November 2024 |
Questions about The Plough
What is The Plough's food hygiene rating?
The Plough has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Norwich City Council on 17 January 2026.
Is The Plough 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 Plough last inspected?
The Plough was last inspected on 17 January 2026, 5 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Norwich City Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Plough?
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 "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Plough compare to other places in Norwich City?
65% of the 1,360 rated food businesses in Norwich City hold the top rating of 5, while The Plough holds a 3. 116 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Norwich City 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.
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
Norwich City inspects and rates 1,567 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Norwich City →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.norwich.gov.uk/site/custom_scripts/eh/foodratings.html
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 →