The Marlborough Arms food hygiene rating
Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house · West Oxfordshire
The Marlborough Arms holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the hotel met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
The rating dates from 12 December 2017, more than 8 years ago. A lot can change in a kitchen in that time, and a rating this old says more about the business then than now. Councils prioritise re-inspecting higher-risk premises, so a long gap often means the business is considered low-risk.
Address: The Marlborough Arms Hotel, 26 - 28 Oxford Street, Woodstock, OX20 1TS
How it compares in West Oxfordshire
That puts The Marlborough Arms among the 957 places in West Oxfordshire holding top marks, 94% 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 | 957 | 94% | ← The Marlborough Arms | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 42 | 4% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 3 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 1 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 110 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Good
- 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 Marlborough Arms 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 Marlborough Arms, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Woodstock Coffee Shop Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 19 December 2019 |
| Missing Bean Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 39 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 January 2025 |
| Hampers Food And Wine Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 41 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 May 2025 |
| The Crown Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 45 yards away | 3 - Generally satisfactory | 7 May 2026 |
| Brothertons Brasserie Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 84 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 November 2025 |
| The Punch Bowl Inn Pub/bar/nightclub | 85 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 August 2025 |
| Caremark Caring Premises | 86 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 November 2018 |
| Mary & Martin News Retailers - other | 86 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 February 2026 |
Questions about The Marlborough Arms
What is The Marlborough Arms's food hygiene rating?
The Marlborough Arms has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by West Oxfordshire Council on 12 December 2017.
Is The Marlborough Arms 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 hotel to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Marlborough Arms last inspected?
The Marlborough Arms was last inspected on 12 December 2017, more than 8 years ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by West Oxfordshire Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Marlborough Arms?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", 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 Marlborough Arms compare to other places in West Oxfordshire?
94% of the 1,013 rated food businesses in West Oxfordshire hold the top rating of 5, and The Marlborough Arms is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
West Oxfordshire Council inspects The Marlborough Arms 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 Marlborough Arms 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 Marlborough Arms is one of 48 rated food businesses in Woodstock. See every hygiene rating in Woodstock →
West Oxfordshire inspects and rates 1,123 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in West Oxfordshire →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.westoxon.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 →