The Dog And Bear Hotel food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Maidstone
The Dog And Bear Hotel 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 12 May 2025, 14 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: The Square, Lenham, Kent, ME17 2PG
How it compares in Maidstone
That puts The Dog And Bear Hotel 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.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,136 | 82% | ← The Dog And Bear Hotel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
- Hygienic food handling Very good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Good
- How well they manage food safety Very 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 Dog And Bear Hotel 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 Dog And Bear Hotel, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bow Window Cafe And Tearoom Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 5 August 2024 |
| Lenham Village Stores Retailers - other | at this address | 4 - Good | 25 July 2024 |
| The Red Lion Pub/bar/nightclub | at this address | 4 - Good | 19 November 2025 |
| Saxon Warrior Pharmacy Retailers - other | at this address | Exempt | |
| Cornerhouse Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 45 yards away | 5 - Very good | 2 August 2024 |
| The Square Fish Cafe Takeaway/sandwich shop | 58 yards away | 4 - Good | 13 October 2025 |
| Home Bake Retailers - other | 58 yards away | 4 - Good | 11 March 2026 |
| Lenham Farm Shop Retailers - other | 60 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 September 2023 |
Questions about The Dog And Bear Hotel
What is The Dog And Bear Hotel's food hygiene rating?
The Dog And Bear Hotel has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Maidstone Council on 12 May 2025.
Is The Dog And Bear Hotel 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 Dog And Bear Hotel last inspected?
The Dog And Bear Hotel was last inspected on 12 May 2025, 14 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 Dog And Bear Hotel?
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 "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Dog And Bear Hotel compare to other places in Maidstone?
82% of the 1,387 rated food businesses in Maidstone hold the top rating of 5, and The Dog And Bear Hotel is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Maidstone Council inspects The Dog And Bear Hotel 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 Dog And Bear Hotel 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 Dog And Bear Hotel is one of 20 rated food businesses in Lenham. See every hygiene rating in Lenham →
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 →