Cottontails food hygiene rating
Caring Premises · Ards and North Down
Cottontails holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the care premises 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 7 October 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: 161a Moneyreagh Road, Tullyhubbert, Ballygowan, BT23 6BH
How it compares in Ards and North Down
In Ards and North Down, 82% of rated places manage a 5, so Cottontails sits behind roughly 949 nearby businesses. 13% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 949 | 82% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 154 | 13% | ← Cottontails | |
| 3 out of 5 | 43 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 8 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 1 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 118 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 Cottontails 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 Cottontails, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evaline's Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 11 February 2025 |
| Host Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 November 2023 |
| Moneyrea Nursery School School/college/university | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 May 2025 |
| Moneyreagh Primary School Dining Centre School/college/university | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 December 2025 |
| The Auld House Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 April 2026 |
| Mace Moneyreagh Retailers - other | 0.8 miles away | 4 - Good | 14 August 2025 |
Questions about Cottontails
What is Cottontails's food hygiene rating?
Cottontails has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Ards and North Down Council on 7 October 2025.
Is Cottontails 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 care premises to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was Cottontails last inspected?
Cottontails was last inspected on 7 October 2025, 9 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Ards and North Down Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Cottontails?
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 Cottontails compare to other places in Ards and North Down?
82% of the 1,155 rated food businesses in Ards and North Down hold the top rating of 5, while Cottontails holds a 4. 154 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Ards and North Down Council inspects Cottontails 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 Cottontails and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Cottontails is one of 884 rated food businesses in Down. See every hygiene rating in Down →
Ards and North Down inspects and rates 1,273 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Ards and North Down →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.ardsandnorthdown.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 →