The Square Cow food hygiene rating
Other catering premises · Winchester City
The Square Cow holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the business met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
The rating dates from 12 March 2025, 16 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: The Square, Wickham, Fareham, PO17 5JN
How it compares in Winchester City
That puts The Square Cow among the 966 places in Winchester City holding top marks, 89% 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 | 966 | 89% | ← The Square Cow | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 91 | 8% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 20 | 2% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 3 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 4 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 85 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 The Square Cow 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 Square Cow, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pages Of Wickham Retailers - other | at this address | 5 - Very good | 7 November 2014 |
| Co-op Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 11 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 July 2024 |
| Kings Head Pub/bar/nightclub | 18 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 October 2024 |
| A Good Yarn Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 70 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 September 2025 |
| One Stop Store Retailers - other | 75 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 January 2022 |
| Pirate Pasties Wickham Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 82 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 January 2025 |
| Nature's Nook Refillery Ltd Retailers - other | 103 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 October 2024 |
| Meon Valley Butchers Retailers - other | 104 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 November 2025 |
Questions about The Square Cow
What is The Square Cow's food hygiene rating?
The Square Cow has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Winchester City Council on 12 March 2025.
Is The Square Cow 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 business to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Square Cow last inspected?
The Square Cow was last inspected on 12 March 2025, 16 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Winchester City Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Square Cow?
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 The Square Cow compare to other places in Winchester City?
89% of the 1,084 rated food businesses in Winchester City hold the top rating of 5, and The Square Cow is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Winchester City Council inspects The Square Cow 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 Square Cow 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 Square Cow is one of 45 rated food businesses in Wickham. See every hygiene rating in Wickham →
Winchester City inspects and rates 1,169 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Winchester City →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.winchester.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 →