5

The Black Horse Inn food hygiene rating

Pub/bar/nightclub · Maidstone

The Black Horse Inn 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 13 September 2024, 22 months ago. That is getting on for the longest gap councils usually leave, so the score may not reflect how the business is run today.

Address: Pilgrims Way, Thurnham, Kent, ME14 3LD

How it compares in Maidstone

That puts The Black Horse Inn among the 1,136 places in Maidstone holding top marks, 82% 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 Maidstone
5 out of 5 1,136 82% ← The Black Horse Inn
4 out of 5 165 12%
3 out of 5 61 4%
2 out of 5 11 1%
1 out of 5 12 1%
0 out of 5 2 <1%

A further 65 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 Black Horse Inn 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 Black Horse Inn, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Detling Community Store Retailers - other 0.8 miles away 5 - Very good 20 February 2020
Coffee Line Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 1.2 miles away 5 - Very good 26 May 2026
Annabelle Jane Cake School Retailers - other 1.3 miles away 5 - Very good 18 September 2025
Fed On The Green Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 1.3 miles away 5 - Very good 24 June 2025
Fish On The Green Pub/bar/nightclub 1.3 miles away 5 - Very good 22 October 2025
Invicta Court Caring Premises 1.4 miles away 5 - Very good 17 January 2025
Impact Food Group At Bearstead And Snowfield School School/college/university 1.4 miles away 5 - Very good 19 May 2026
Al's Ice Mobile caterer 1.4 miles away 5 - Very good 12 May 2026

Questions about The Black Horse Inn

What is The Black Horse Inn's food hygiene rating?

The Black Horse Inn has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Maidstone Council on 13 September 2024.

Is The Black Horse Inn 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 Black Horse Inn last inspected?

The Black Horse Inn was last inspected on 13 September 2024, 22 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Maidstone Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at The Black Horse Inn?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very 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 Black Horse Inn compare to other places in Maidstone?

82% of the 1,387 rated food businesses in Maidstone hold the top rating of 5, and The Black Horse Inn is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Maidstone Council inspects The Black Horse Inn 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 Black Horse Inn and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

Maidstone inspects and rates 1,452 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Maidstone

The official record is held by the council: http://www.maidstone.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 →