The Castle Inn food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Rochford
The Castle Inn holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The pub met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 11 November 2025, 7 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: 181 Little Wakering Road, Little Wakering, Essex, SS3 0JW
How it compares in Rochford
In Rochford, 83% of rated places manage a 5, so The Castle Inn sits behind roughly 556 nearby businesses. 3% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 491 | 83% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 65 | 11% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 16 | 3% | ← The Castle Inn | |
| 2 out of 5 | 4 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 12 | 2% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 3 | 1% |
A further 106 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Generally satisfactory
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety Generally satisfactory
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 Castle 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 Castle Inn, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern County Care Caring Premises | 395 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 September 2024 |
| Barrow House Other catering premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 27 January 2026 |
| Hops Off Licence Other catering premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 July 2025 |
| Joseph Lodge Care Home Caring Premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 11 November 2025 |
| Barling Magna Primary School School/college/university | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 11 November 2025 |
| Great Wakering Rovers Football Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 March 2025 |
| Gt. Wakering Royal British Legion Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 February 2020 |
| Buddies Diner Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 1.0 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 November 2024 |
Questions about The Castle Inn
What is The Castle Inn's food hygiene rating?
The Castle Inn has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Rochford Council on 11 November 2025.
Is The Castle Inn safe to eat at?
A 3 means the pub met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was The Castle Inn last inspected?
The Castle Inn was last inspected on 11 November 2025, 7 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Rochford Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Castle Inn?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Castle Inn compare to other places in Rochford?
83% of the 591 rated food businesses in Rochford hold the top rating of 5, while The Castle Inn holds a 3. 16 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Rochford Council inspects The Castle 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 Castle 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
Rochford inspects and rates 697 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Rochford →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.rochford.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 →