The Five Bells food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Medway
The Five Bells 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 16 June 2025, 12 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: 126 High Street, Halling, Rochester, ME2 1BZ
How it compares in Medway
That puts The Five Bells among the 1,577 places in Medway holding top marks, 80% 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 | 1,577 | 80% | ← The Five Bells | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 279 | 14% | ||
| 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 Very 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 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 The Five Bells, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Halling Post Office \& Convenience Store Retailers - other | 53 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 May 2026 |
| Halling Community Pre-School Caring Premises | 76 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 April 2026 |
| Homeward Bound Pub/bar/nightclub | 187 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 February 2026 |
| Jawson All In One Store Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 April 2026 |
| Halling Primary School Breakfast And After School Club School/college/university | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 16 May 2025 |
| Halling Primary School School/college/university | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 May 2025 |
| Collard's Veg Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 3 March 2026 |
| Newtown Social Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 May 2023 |
Questions about The Five Bells
What is The Five Bells's food hygiene rating?
The Five Bells has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Medway Council on 16 June 2025.
Is The Five Bells 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 Five Bells last inspected?
The Five Bells was last inspected on 16 June 2025, 12 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 The Five Bells?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "very 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 Five Bells compare to other places in Medway?
80% of the 1,964 rated food businesses in Medway hold the top rating of 5, and The Five Bells is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Medway Council inspects The 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 The 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
The 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 →