The Spotted Cow food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Gosport
The Spotted Cow holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the restaurant 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 24 September 2025, 9 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: 165 High Street, Lee-On-The-Solent, PO13 9BX
How it compares in Gosport
In Gosport, 86% of rated places manage a 5, so The Spotted Cow sits behind roughly 492 nearby businesses. 9% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 492 | 86% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 49 | 9% | ← The Spotted Cow | |
| 3 out of 5 | 19 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 3 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 8 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 3 | 1% |
A further 30 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 Generally satisfactory
- 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 Spotted 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 Spotted Cow, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bar Flores Other catering premises | 56 yards away | 5 - Very good | 3 September 2025 |
| Bluebird (Solent) Ltd Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 75 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 April 2025 |
| Bakerellys Retailers - other | 81 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 April 2025 |
| Blue Cobra Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 104 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 February 2026 |
| Caffe Lee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 104 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 July 2024 |
| Antep Turkish Kitchen Other catering premises | 144 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 February 2026 |
| Bun Penny Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 167 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 July 2024 |
| Canford Manor Nursing Home Caring Premises | 167 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 January 2026 |
Questions about The Spotted Cow
What is The Spotted Cow's food hygiene rating?
The Spotted Cow has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Gosport Council on 24 September 2025.
Is The Spotted 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 restaurant to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Spotted Cow last inspected?
The Spotted Cow was last inspected on 24 September 2025, 9 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Gosport Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Spotted Cow?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Spotted Cow compare to other places in Gosport?
86% of the 574 rated food businesses in Gosport hold the top rating of 5, while The Spotted Cow holds a 4. 49 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Gosport Council inspects The Spotted 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 Spotted Cow and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
Free, for three businesses, forever. No password, we send you a link. How rating alerts work →
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Spotted Cow is one of 61 rated food businesses in Lee-on-the-Solent. See every hygiene rating in Lee-on-the-Solent →
Gosport inspects and rates 604 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Gosport →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.gosport.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 →