The Friars Vaults food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Pembrokeshire
The Friars Vaults holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The restaurant met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 20 February 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: The Friars Vaults 5 Castle Square, Haverfordwest, SA61 2AB
How it compares in Pembrokeshire
In Pembrokeshire, 78% of rated places manage a 5, so The Friars Vaults sits behind roughly 1,719 nearby businesses. 4% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,436 | 78% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 283 | 15% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 77 | 4% | ← The Friars Vaults | |
| 2 out of 5 | 18 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 20 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 478 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 Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety Generally satisfactory
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 Friars Vaults 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 Friars Vaults, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infinity CBD Manufacturers/packers | 64 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 February 2020 |
| Eddie Rocks Pub/bar/nightclub | 73 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 February 2024 |
| Forbidden Florist Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 73 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 April 2026 |
| Scarlett's coffee and wine bar Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 73 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 May 2024 |
| Greggs Manufacturers/packers | 97 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 January 2026 |
| Balfour Conservative Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 100 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 February 2020 |
| Beachys desserts Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 100 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 February 2026 |
| Labyrinth Pub/bar/nightclub | 100 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 February 2014 |
Questions about The Friars Vaults
What is The Friars Vaults's food hygiene rating?
The Friars Vaults has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Pembrokeshire Council on 20 February 2025.
Is The Friars Vaults safe to eat at?
A 3 means the restaurant met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was The Friars Vaults last inspected?
The Friars Vaults was last inspected on 20 February 2025, 16 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Pembrokeshire Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Friars Vaults?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Friars Vaults compare to other places in Pembrokeshire?
78% of the 1,835 rated food businesses in Pembrokeshire hold the top rating of 5, while The Friars Vaults holds a 3. 77 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Pembrokeshire Council inspects The Friars Vaults 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 Friars Vaults 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 Friars Vaults is one of 357 rated food businesses in Haverfordwest. See every hygiene rating in Haverfordwest →
Pembrokeshire inspects and rates 2,313 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Pembrokeshire →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.pembrokeshire.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 →