Five Bells food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Medway
Five Bells 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 16 December 2025, 6 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 Five Bells, 1 Stoke Road, Hoo St Werburgh, ME3 9BE
How it compares in Medway
In Medway, 80% of rated places manage a 5, so Five Bells sits behind roughly 1,576 nearby businesses. 14% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,576 | 80% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 280 | 14% | ← Five Bells | |
| 3 out of 5 | 74 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 9 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 24 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 174 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Very good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- 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 Five Bells 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 Five Bells, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glow Lounge Hoo Limitied Retailers - other | 56 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 September 2025 |
| Chicken Treat Takeaway/sandwich shop | 69 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 October 2025 |
| Billy's Bakehouse Ltd Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 76 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 July 2024 |
| Co-Op Welcome Retailers - other | 92 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 October 2025 |
| C&S Chinese Takeaway Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 February 2024 |
| Anatolia Kebab House Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 February 2024 |
| Dominos Pizza Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 27 November 2025 |
| Homeleigh Nursery Retailers - other | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 9 September 2025 |
Questions about Five Bells
What is Five Bells's food hygiene rating?
Five Bells has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Medway Council on 16 December 2025.
Is Five Bells 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 Five Bells last inspected?
Five Bells was last inspected on 16 December 2025, 6 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Medway Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Five Bells?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Five Bells compare to other places in Medway?
80% of the 1,964 rated food businesses in Medway hold the top rating of 5, while Five Bells holds a 4. 280 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Medway Council inspects Five Bells 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 Five Bells and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Five Bells is one of 531 rated food businesses in Rochester. See every hygiene rating in Rochester →
Medway inspects and rates 2,138 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Medway →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.medway.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 →