5

The Willows food hygiene rating

Caring Premises · Harborough

The Willows holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the care premises met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 20 May 2025, 13 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: Wibtoft Cottage, Watling Street, Claybrooke Parva, LE17 5BE

How it compares in Harborough

That puts The Willows among the 679 places in Harborough holding top marks, 93% 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.

Every rated food business in Harborough
5 out of 5 679 93% ← The Willows
4 out of 5 39 5%
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 56 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.

What the inspector found

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 Willows 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 Willows, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Victoria Farm Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house 0.8 miles away 5 - Very good 13 December 2007
The Pig In Muck Pub/bar/nightclub 1.0 miles away 4 - Good 15 May 2025
The Swan At Ullesthorpe Pub/bar/nightclub 1.5 miles away 5 - Very good 1 June 2026
Chequers Country Inn Pub/bar/nightclub 1.5 miles away 5 - Very good 3 February 2026
Ullesthorpe Stores Retailers - other 1.5 miles away 3 - Generally satisfactory 1 June 2026
Marcus Stevens Butchers Shop Retailers - other 1.5 miles away 3 - Generally satisfactory 16 September 2025
Ullesthorpe Pre School Ltd School/college/university 1.6 miles away Exempt
Taylorshaw @ Ullesthorpe C Of E Primary School/college/university 1.7 miles away 5 - Very good 7 September 2025

Questions about The Willows

What is The Willows's food hygiene rating?

The Willows has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Harborough Council on 20 May 2025.

Is The Willows 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 care premises to be very good, the top end of the scale.

When was The Willows last inspected?

The Willows was last inspected on 20 May 2025, 13 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Harborough Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at The Willows?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "very 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 Willows compare to other places in Harborough?

93% of the 732 rated food businesses in Harborough hold the top rating of 5, and The Willows is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Harborough Council inspects The Willows 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 Willows and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

Harborough inspects and rates 788 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Harborough

The official record is held by the council: http://www.harborough.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 →