The Merry Monk food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Somerset
The Merry Monk 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 6 January 2026, 6 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 Merry Monk, Monkton Heathfield, TA2 8NE
How it compares in Somerset
That puts The Merry Monk among the 4,825 places in Somerset holding top marks, 87% 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 | 4,825 | 87% | ← The Merry Monk | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 541 | 10% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 92 | 2% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 26 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 31 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 557 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 Merry Monk 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 Merry Monk, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Co-Operative Stores Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 116 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 December 2025 |
| Bathpool Inn Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 March 2025 |
| Aldi Stores Limited Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 18 December 2018 |
Questions about The Merry Monk
What is The Merry Monk's food hygiene rating?
The Merry Monk has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Somerset Council on 6 January 2026.
Is The Merry Monk 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 Merry Monk last inspected?
The Merry Monk was last inspected on 6 January 2026, 6 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Somerset Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Merry Monk?
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 Merry Monk compare to other places in Somerset?
87% of the 5,515 rated food businesses in Somerset hold the top rating of 5, and The Merry Monk is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Somerset Council inspects The Merry Monk 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 Merry Monk 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 Merry Monk is one of 639 rated food businesses in Taunton. See every hygiene rating in Taunton →
Somerset inspects and rates 6,072 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Somerset →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.somerset.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 →