Fit for the Queen? This Jubilee, here are the average food hygiene ratings for the ten most common pub names 

As Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her Platinum Jubilee, many of us will be taking advantage of the extended opening hours of pubs and bars to raise a glass to the world’s longest reigning living monarch.

Ahead of the big weekend, online-training provider High Speed Training have compiled a list of the ten most popular pub names in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and calculated an average food hygiene rating for each based on Food Standards Agency data.

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) is a partnership with local authorities in England, Wales & Northern Ireland. The scheme aims to provide customers with information as to how well a business is upholding food hygiene and safety standards, scoring each establishment on a scale of zero to five (zero meaning urgent improvement is needed and five meaning standards are very good) on how hygeniecely they handle food, the physical condition of the premises and facilities and the efficacy of their food safety management systems.

The winning pub name was The Royal Oak, which scored an average rating of 4.58 out of 5 from 353 pubs analysed. According to britishheritage.com, the name derives from Charles I who, following defeat at the Battle of Worcester, hid in an oak tree in 1651. ^[1]

In second place was The Wheatsheaf, who’s 176 locations scored an average of 4.57, with the bronze medal position going to The Plough, scoring 4.54 from 218 establishments. More common in rural areas, this name is thought to mark a pub located near to where the community plough was kept.

There are 482 Red Lion’s, making it by far the most popular pub name in the country. It came in 6th in our rankings, with an average score of 4.45.

Many of the other entries feature a royal theme, including the King’s Arms (190 pubs, avg. rating 4.53), The Crown (296 pubs, avg. rating 4.41) and The Rose and Crown (191 pubs, avg. rating 4.41), whose name is a nod to the War of the Roses.

Another popular royal name that didn’t quite make the list is The Queen’s Head, whose sign often features the likeness of Elizabeth I or Victoria. Modern protocol dictates that reigning monarchs are not to be portrayed on inn signs during their lifetime, so you aren’t likely to find many featuring Elizabeth II.

High Speed Training sourced the data and created an interactive report analysing Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Hygiene Information Scheme (FHIS) data for over 230,000 food businesses across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, creating average regional scores for all areas of the UK, as well as ranking towns and cities. The full report can be found here – https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/food-hygiene-ratings-report-2022/ 

Sarah Taylor, Food and Drink Learning Development Manager at High Speed Training, said: “We have a long history of quirky and interesting pub names here in the UK, with many referencing age-old events, places and people. Through our food hygiene report, we were able to calculate average ratings for the most popular names in England, N. Ireland and Wales. 

“With many people sure to raise a glass to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee this weekend, it’s set to be an important weekend for the hospitality industry. Whilst it’s a bit of fun to explore the ratings and stories behind some of our great British pubs, food hygiene is still an important part of running a successful food establishment.

“Ensuring that all relevant staff have up to date food hygiene training, are aware of their specific responsibilities, and implement good practices everyday, are the best ways to stay on top of hygiene standards.”

The full top ten can be found below:

Top ten: ^[2]

1: Royal Oak – 353 pubs, average rating of 4.58.

2: Wheatsheaf  – 176 pubs, average rating of 4.57

3: The Plough – 218 pubs, average rating of 4.54

4: Kings Arms – 190 pubs, average rating of  4.53

5: White Horse – 243 pubs, average rating of 4.51

6: Red Lion – 482 pubs, average rating of 4.45

7: White Hart – 265 pubs, average rating of 4.44

-8: The Crown – 296 pubs, average rating of 4.41

-8: Rose & Crown – 191 pubs, average rating of 4.41

9: New Inn – 201 pubs, average rating of 4.36