Holy Cow food hygiene rating
Other catering premises · Medway
Holy Cow holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the business 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 January 2025, 18 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: 80 Alexandra House, John Street, Rochester, ME1 1YW
How it compares in Medway
In Medway, 80% of rated places manage a 5, so Holy Cow sits behind roughly 1,577 nearby businesses. 14% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,577 | 80% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 279 | 14% | ← Holy Cow | |
| 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 Good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety Very 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 Holy 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 Holy Cow, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austens Of Rochester Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 18 May 2026 |
| Bean Town Coffee Other catering premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 20 November 2025 |
| Besties Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 16 February 2026 |
| 12 Degrees Micropub Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 June 2026 |
| Amore Other catering premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 August 2024 |
| Brettingtons Steak And Lobster House Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 July 2024 |
| Boba Tigers Rochester Other catering premises | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 29 January 2025 |
| Boundary Express Retailers - other | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 July 2025 |
Questions about Holy Cow
What is Holy Cow's food hygiene rating?
Holy Cow has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Medway Council on 11 January 2025.
Is Holy 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 business to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was Holy Cow last inspected?
Holy Cow was last inspected on 11 January 2025, 18 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 Holy 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 "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Holy Cow compare to other places in Medway?
80% of the 1,964 rated food businesses in Medway hold the top rating of 5, while Holy Cow holds a 4. 279 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Medway Council inspects Holy 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 Holy 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
Holy Cow 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 →