20-07-2025
Pub with rooms on edge of Cotswolds slammed over 'poor hygiene'
An Oxfordshire village pub with rooms on the edge of the Cotswolds has been slammed for having poor hygiene.
The Gate Hangs High is described as a cosy family-run country pub featuring a campsite, courtyard rooms, dining, weekly events, and live music.
Cherwell District Council's Environmental Health team visited the premises on Thursday, June 5.
Inspectors handed a lowly one out of five food hygiene rating, stating that "major improvement" was needed.
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Rooms at The Gate Hangs High in Hook Norton. (Image: The Gate Hangs High / Facebook)
One key issue on the day was the management of food safety, which was also deemed to require "major improvement".
This refers to having a system or checks in place to ensure that the food sold or served is safe to eat.
It also concerns whether there is evidence that staff know about food safety and if the food safety officer has confidence that standards will be maintained in future.
Another problem was the hygienic handling of food, including preparation, cooking, reheating, cooling and storage, where improvement was regarded as "necessary".
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Despite the other issues, the cleanliness and condition of both the facilities and the building were reported as being "generally satisfactory".
This includes having an appropriate layout, ventilation, hand washing facilities and pest control to enable good food hygiene.
The Oxford Mail reached out to the watering hole this week for comment and was told the issues related to paperwork.
A spokesperson for the pub said: "This was due to not having the correct paperwork on the day due to the chef being off with Covid.
"Everything is now up to date, and we have a re-inspection coming up."
