5

The Cowshed Dorset food hygiene rating

Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Dorset

The Cowshed Dorset holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the restaurant met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 27 August 2024, 22 months ago. That is getting on for the longest gap councils usually leave, so the score may not reflect how the business is run today.

Address: Unit 13 The Courtyard Centre Cottage Farm Huntick Road, Lytchett Matravers, BH16 6BA

How it compares in Dorset

That puts The Cowshed Dorset among the 3,808 places in Dorset holding top marks, 95% 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.

Every rated food business in Dorset
5 out of 5 3,808 95% ← The Cowshed Dorset
4 out of 5 139 3%
3 out of 5 33 1%
2 out of 5 5 <1%
1 out of 5 3 <1%
0 out of 5 0 0%

A further 1,119 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.

What the inspector found

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 Cowshed Dorset 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 Cowshed Dorset, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Harbour View Other catering premises 0.4 miles away 5 - Very good 20 November 2025
Kids Love Nature Lytchett Limited School/college/university 0.5 miles away 5 - Very good 13 April 2026
Drovers Retreat Bed and Breakfast Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house 0.7 miles away 5 - Very good 29 April 2019
Chippee KI-Yay Takeaway/sandwich shop 0.7 miles away 5 - Very good 28 May 2025
Costa Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 0.9 miles away 5 - Very good 9 May 2025
Domino's Pizza Takeaway/sandwich shop 0.9 miles away 5 - Very good 9 May 2025

Questions about The Cowshed Dorset

What is The Cowshed Dorset's food hygiene rating?

The Cowshed Dorset has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Dorset Council on 27 August 2024.

Is The Cowshed Dorset 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 restaurant to be very good, the top end of the scale.

When was The Cowshed Dorset last inspected?

The Cowshed Dorset was last inspected on 27 August 2024, 22 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Dorset Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at The Cowshed Dorset?

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 Cowshed Dorset compare to other places in Dorset?

95% of the 3,988 rated food businesses in Dorset hold the top rating of 5, and The Cowshed Dorset is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Dorset Council inspects The Cowshed Dorset 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 Cowshed Dorset 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 Cowshed Dorset is one of 22 rated food businesses in Lytchett Matravers. See every hygiene rating in Lytchett Matravers

Dorset inspects and rates 5,107 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Dorset

The official record is held by the council: https://www.dorsetcouncil.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 →