5

The Royal Oak food hygiene rating

Pub/bar/nightclub · North Northamptonshire

The Royal Oak 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 23 November 2018, more than 7 years ago. A lot can change in a kitchen in that time, and a rating this old says more about the business then than now. Councils prioritise re-inspecting higher-risk premises, so a long gap often means the business is considered low-risk.

Address: 88 Doddington Road, Wellingborough, NN8 2LJ

How it compares in North Northamptonshire

That puts The Royal Oak among the 2,391 places in North Northamptonshire holding top marks, 85% 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 North Northamptonshire
5 out of 5 2,391 85% ← The Royal Oak
4 out of 5 283 10%
3 out of 5 75 3%
2 out of 5 26 1%
1 out of 5 28 1%
0 out of 5 1 <1%

A further 289 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 Royal Oak 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 Royal Oak, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Blue Atlantic Fish And Chips Takeaway/sandwich shop 223 yards away 5 - Very good 2 April 2025
Doddington Road Stores Retailers - other 258 yards away 5 - Very good 5 March 2018
Cafe 2 U Northampton South Mobile caterer 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 23 October 2019
Berrymoor Stores Retailers - other 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 16 July 2025
E K Stores Retailers - other 0.4 miles away 5 - Very good 20 November 2014
Blossoms Caring Premises 0.4 miles away 5 - Very good 4 September 2013
Caterlink @ Wrenn School - London Road School/college/university 0.5 miles away 5 - Very good 3 September 2024
Croyland Nursery School And Day Nursery Caring Premises 0.5 miles away 5 - Very good 13 June 2025

Questions about The Royal Oak

What is The Royal Oak's food hygiene rating?

The Royal Oak has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by North Northamptonshire Council on 23 November 2018.

Is The Royal Oak 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 Royal Oak last inspected?

The Royal Oak was last inspected on 23 November 2018, more than 7 years ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by North Northamptonshire Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at The Royal Oak?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "very good", and confidence in the management of food safety "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.

How does The Royal Oak compare to other places in North Northamptonshire?

85% of the 2,804 rated food businesses in North Northamptonshire hold the top rating of 5, and The Royal Oak is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

North Northamptonshire Council inspects The Royal Oak 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 Royal Oak and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

The Royal Oak is one of 620 rated food businesses in Wellingborough. See every hygiene rating in Wellingborough

North Northamptonshire inspects and rates 3,093 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in North Northamptonshire

The official record is held by the council: https://www.northnorthants.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 →