The Old Post Office food hygiene rating
Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house · Dorset
The Old Post Office 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 25 March 2019, more than 7 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: 4 Ballard Estate, Swanage, BH19 1QZ
How it compares in Dorset
That puts The Old Post Office 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% | ← The Old Post Office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 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 The Old Post Office 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 Old Post Office, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avon House Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 171 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 December 2018 |
| Ballard Down Stores Ltd Retailers - other | 277 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 May 2019 |
| Clifftop Care Home Caring Premises | 335 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 April 2026 |
| Grand Hotel (Swanage) Ltd Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 335 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 June 2025 |
| Joseph Allnatt Centres Ltd School/college/university | 421 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 March 2018 |
| Gainsborough Care Home Limited Caring Premises | 437 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 April 2026 |
| Beach Gardens Pavilion Ice Cream Kiosk Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 July 2025 |
| Ocean Bay Watersports Beach Kiosk Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 30 July 2025 |
Questions about The Old Post Office
What is The Old Post Office's food hygiene rating?
The Old Post Office has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Dorset Council on 25 March 2019.
Is The Old Post Office 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 Old Post Office last inspected?
The Old Post Office was last inspected on 25 March 2019, more than 7 years 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 Old Post Office?
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 Old Post Office compare to other places in Dorset?
95% of the 3,988 rated food businesses in Dorset hold the top rating of 5, and The Old Post Office is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Dorset Council inspects The Old Post Office 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 Old Post Office 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 Old Post Office 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 →