The Fountain, Cowden food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Sevenoaks
The Fountain, Cowden holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the pub met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
The rating dates from 1 August 2024, 23 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: The Fountain Inn, 30 High Street, Cowden, TN8 7JG
How it compares in Sevenoaks
That puts The Fountain, Cowden among the 669 places in Sevenoaks holding top marks, 78% 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.
| 5 out of 5 | 669 | 78% | ← The Fountain, Cowden | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 118 | 14% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 47 | 6% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 13 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 6 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 104 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 Good
- 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 Fountain, Cowden 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 Fountain, Cowden, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holtye Golf Club Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.8 miles away | 4 - Good | 28 January 2025 |
| Goodtrees Farm Partnership Retailers - other | 1.1 miles away | 5 - Very good | 18 August 2022 |
| Raised Foods LLP Farmers/growers | 1.1 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 October 2025 |
| The Queens Arms Retailers - other | 1.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 March 2026 |
| Falconhurst Farm Shop Other catering premises | 1.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 October 2024 |
| Kentish Horse Pub/bar/nightclub | 1.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 31 July 2024 |
| Wheeler's Wagon Mobile caterer | 2.0 miles away | 5 - Very good | 18 December 2024 |
| Butchers Retailers - other | 2.0 miles away | 5 - Very good | 20 August 2025 |
Questions about The Fountain, Cowden
What is The Fountain, Cowden's food hygiene rating?
The Fountain, Cowden has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Sevenoaks Council on 1 August 2024.
Is The Fountain, Cowden 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 pub to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Fountain, Cowden last inspected?
The Fountain, Cowden was last inspected on 1 August 2024, 23 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Sevenoaks Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Fountain, Cowden?
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 Fountain, Cowden compare to other places in Sevenoaks?
78% of the 853 rated food businesses in Sevenoaks hold the top rating of 5, and The Fountain, Cowden is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Sevenoaks Council inspects The Fountain, Cowden 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 Fountain, Cowden and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Sevenoaks inspects and rates 957 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Sevenoaks →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.sevenoaks.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 →