White Horse food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Maidstone
White Horse 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
This is a fresh result: White Horse was inspected on 29 May 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.
Address: White Horse Inn, North Street, Headcorn, TN27 9NN
How it compares in Maidstone
That puts White Horse among the 1,136 places in Maidstone holding top marks, 82% 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 | 1,136 | 82% | ← White Horse | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 165 | 12% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 61 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 11 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 12 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 65 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 Very 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 White Horse 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 White Horse, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headcorn Chicken And Pizza Takeaway/sandwich shop | 3 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 May 2026 |
| Costa Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 74 yards away | 5 - Very good | 2 October 2025 |
| Tap 17 Micro Bar Pub/bar/nightclub | 74 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 May 2025 |
| McCoys Fish And Chips Takeaway/sandwich shop | 74 yards away | 4 - Good | 3 April 2025 |
| Penny Kemp's Community Pantry Retailers - other | 129 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 December 2023 |
| J K Food And Wine Retailers - other | 133 yards away | 4 - Good | 10 March 2025 |
| Sainsbury's Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 158 yards away | 5 - Very good | 3 November 2016 |
| Hollamby Family Butchers Retailers - other | 160 yards away | 5 - Very good | 31 October 2025 |
Questions about White Horse
What is White Horse's food hygiene rating?
White Horse has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Maidstone Council on 29 May 2026.
Is White Horse 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 White Horse last inspected?
White Horse was last inspected on 29 May 2026, a month ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Maidstone Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at White Horse?
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 White Horse compare to other places in Maidstone?
82% of the 1,387 rated food businesses in Maidstone hold the top rating of 5, and White Horse is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Maidstone Council inspects White Horse 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 White Horse and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
Free, for three businesses, forever. No password, we send you a link. How rating alerts work →
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
White Horse is one of 37 rated food businesses in Headcorn. See every hygiene rating in Headcorn →
Maidstone inspects and rates 1,452 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Maidstone →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.maidstone.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 →