The Ploughshare food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Breckland
The Ploughshare 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 5 March 2025, 16 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: Ploughshare Public House The Street, Beeston, PE32 2NF
How it compares in Breckland
In Breckland, 86% of rated places manage a 5, so The Ploughshare sits behind roughly 1,014 nearby businesses. 9% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,014 | 86% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 101 | 9% | ← The Ploughshare | |
| 3 out of 5 | 47 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 6 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 12 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 77 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 Good
- 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 The Ploughshare 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 Ploughshare, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taylorshaw @ Beeston Primary School School/college/university | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 November 2025 |
| Norfolk Farm Produce Ltd Distributors/Transporters | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 30 January 2024 |
| Litcham High School School/college/university | 1.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 September 2024 |
| Litcham Post Office Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 1.5 miles away | 1 - Major improvement necessary | 24 February 2025 |
| Taroni's Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 1.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 May 2026 |
| The Litcham Bull Pub/bar/nightclub | 1.6 miles away | 3 - Generally satisfactory | 26 March 2026 |
| Little Chippy Takeaway/sandwich shop | 1.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 May 2025 |
| Fransham Village Hall Other catering premises | 1.7 miles away | 4 - Good | 28 April 2023 |
Questions about The Ploughshare
What is The Ploughshare's food hygiene rating?
The Ploughshare has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Breckland Council on 5 March 2025.
Is The Ploughshare 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 The Ploughshare last inspected?
The Ploughshare was last inspected on 5 March 2025, 16 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Breckland Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Ploughshare?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Ploughshare compare to other places in Breckland?
86% of the 1,180 rated food businesses in Breckland hold the top rating of 5, while The Ploughshare holds a 4. 101 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Breckland Council inspects The Ploughshare 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 Ploughshare and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Breckland inspects and rates 1,257 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Breckland →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.breckland.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 →