Merlins Sports Bar food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Great Yarmouth
Merlins Sports Bar 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 27 April 2026, 2 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: 38 Apsley Road, Great Yarmouth, NR30 2HG
How it compares in Great Yarmouth
In Great Yarmouth, 71% of rated places manage a 5, so Merlins Sports Bar sits behind roughly 731 nearby businesses. 16% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 731 | 71% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 161 | 16% | ← Merlins Sports Bar | |
| 3 out of 5 | 74 | 7% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 24 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 32 | 3% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 5 | <1% |
A further 89 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 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 Merlins Sports Bar 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 Merlins Sports Bar, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charcoal Grill Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 57 yards away | 5 - Very good | 31 October 2025 |
| Chico's Fish Bar & Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 57 yards away | 5 - Very good | 6 November 2025 |
| Darling Darlings Cat Lounge Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 82 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 April 2026 |
| Arches Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 123 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 March 2026 |
| Cooking Asia Retailers - other | 123 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 November 2024 |
| Candy Kingdom Retailers - other | 157 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 October 2025 |
| China Cottage Takeaway/sandwich shop | 198 yards away | 5 - Very good | 13 March 2025 |
| Beachside Takeaway Takeaway/sandwich shop | 239 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 October 2023 |
Questions about Merlins Sports Bar
What is Merlins Sports Bar's food hygiene rating?
Merlins Sports Bar has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Great Yarmouth Council on 27 April 2026.
Is Merlins Sports Bar 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 Merlins Sports Bar last inspected?
Merlins Sports Bar was last inspected on 27 April 2026, 2 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Great Yarmouth Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Merlins Sports Bar?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", 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 Merlins Sports Bar compare to other places in Great Yarmouth?
71% of the 1,027 rated food businesses in Great Yarmouth hold the top rating of 5, while Merlins Sports Bar holds a 4. 161 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Great Yarmouth Council inspects Merlins Sports Bar 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 Merlins Sports Bar 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
Great Yarmouth inspects and rates 1,116 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Great Yarmouth →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.great-yarmouth.gov.uk/live/index.htm
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 →