5

The White Horse Inn food hygiene rating

Pub/bar/nightclub · Dorset

The White Horse Inn 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: The White Horse Inn was inspected on 14 May 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.

Address: White Horse Inn 11 High Street, Swanage, BH19 2LP

How it compares in Dorset

That puts The White Horse Inn among the 3,808 places in Dorset holding top marks, 95% 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 Dorset
5 out of 5 3,808 95% ← The White Horse Inn
4 out of 5 139 3%
3 out of 5 33 1%
2 out of 5 5 <1%
1 out of 5 3 <1%
0 out of 5 0 0%

A further 1,119 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 White Horse Inn 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 White Horse Inn, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
H B Hibbs Retailers - other at this address 5 - Very good 23 April 2025
La Trattoria Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 34 yards away 5 - Very good 6 November 2025
Rainbow Kebab Takeaway/sandwich shop 38 yards away 5 - Very good 10 April 2025
Gee Whites Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 49 yards away 5 - Very good 24 February 2026
Masala Indian Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 49 yards away 5 - Very good 6 November 2024
Scoopies Other catering premises 49 yards away 5 - Very good 2 March 2026
Masonic Hall Other catering premises 54 yards away 5 - Very good 8 August 2024
Pier Head Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 66 yards away 5 - Very good 23 September 2025

Questions about The White Horse Inn

What is The White Horse Inn's food hygiene rating?

The White Horse Inn has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Dorset Council on 14 May 2026.

Is The White Horse Inn 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 White Horse Inn last inspected?

The White Horse Inn was last inspected on 14 May 2026, a month ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Dorset Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at The White Horse Inn?

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 White Horse Inn compare to other places in Dorset?

95% of the 3,988 rated food businesses in Dorset hold the top rating of 5, and The White Horse Inn is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Dorset Council inspects The White Horse Inn 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 White Horse Inn 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 White Horse Inn is one of 167 rated food businesses in Swanage. See every hygiene rating in Swanage

Dorset inspects and rates 5,107 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Dorset

The official record is held by the council: https://www.dorsetcouncil.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 →