April Cottage food hygiene rating
Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house · Dorset
April Cottage 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 16 October 2025, 8 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: April Cottage South Instow, Harmans Cross, BH19 3DS
How it compares in Dorset
That puts April Cottage 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.
| 5 out of 5 | 3,808 | 95% | ← April Cottage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
- 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 April Cottage 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 April Cottage, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downshay Farm B&B Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 November 2019 |
| Karen's Catering (Burger Van & Donut van) Mobile caterer | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 30 July 2024 |
| Odds and Sods Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 March 2025 |
| BOLD Colour and Sound Caring Premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 May 2019 |
| Box Pub Ltd Mobile caterer | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 31 May 2017 |
| Castle View Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 January 2018 |
| Kingston Country Courtyard Other catering premises | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 February 2025 |
| Purbeck Valley Farmhouse Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 28 November 2018 |
Questions about April Cottage
What is April Cottage's food hygiene rating?
April Cottage has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Dorset Council on 16 October 2025.
Is April Cottage 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 April Cottage last inspected?
April Cottage was last inspected on 16 October 2025, 8 months 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 April Cottage?
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 April Cottage compare to other places in Dorset?
95% of the 3,988 rated food businesses in Dorset hold the top rating of 5, and April Cottage is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Dorset Council inspects April Cottage 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 April Cottage and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
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 →