The Red Cow food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Reading
The Red Cow holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the pub are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 11 March 2026, 4 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: 56 Star Road, Caversham, Reading, RG4 5BE
How it compares in Reading
In Reading, 65% of rated places manage a 5, so The Red Cow sits behind roughly 881 nearby businesses. 18% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 881 | 65% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 248 | 18% | ← The Red Cow | |
| 3 out of 5 | 148 | 11% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 39 | 3% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 41 | 3% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 5 | <1% |
A further 155 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 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 Red 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 Red Cow, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banana Moon Day Nursery Caring Premises | 298 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 December 2025 |
| Caterlink at Caversham Childrens Centre Caring Premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 January 2025 |
| Attimonosh Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 May 2026 |
| BP Leander Service Station Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 November 2023 |
| Bina Tandoori Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 November 2025 |
| Angel Bar Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 November 2024 |
| BKRY Retailers - other | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 20 March 2026 |
| Alto Lounge Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 September 2025 |
Questions about The Red Cow
What is The Red Cow's food hygiene rating?
The Red Cow has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Reading Council on 11 March 2026.
Is The Red Cow safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this pub to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Red Cow last inspected?
The Red Cow was last inspected on 11 March 2026, 4 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Reading Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Red 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 "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Red Cow compare to other places in Reading?
65% of the 1,362 rated food businesses in Reading hold the top rating of 5, while The Red Cow holds a 4. 248 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Reading Council inspects The Red 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 Red 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 Red Cow is one of 103 rated food businesses in Caversham. See every hygiene rating in Caversham →
Reading inspects and rates 1,517 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Reading →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.reading.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 →