The Fighting Cocks food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Sevenoaks
The Fighting Cocks holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The pub met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 18 November 2025, 7 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: Fighting Cocks, The Street, Horton Kirby, DA4 9BY
How it compares in Sevenoaks
In Sevenoaks, 78% of rated places manage a 5, so The Fighting Cocks sits behind roughly 787 nearby businesses. 6% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 669 | 78% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 118 | 14% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 47 | 6% | ← The Fighting Cocks | |
| 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 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 The Fighting Cocks 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 Fighting Cocks, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horton Kirby Breakfast & After School Clubs School/college/university | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 3 October 2024 |
| Eglantine Villa Care Home Caring Premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 January 2025 |
| The Bridges Pub Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 August 2024 |
| The Co-operative Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 9 February 2025 |
| Southdowns Residents Cafe And Stores Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 27 May 2026 |
Questions about The Fighting Cocks
What is The Fighting Cocks's food hygiene rating?
The Fighting Cocks has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Sevenoaks Council on 18 November 2025.
Is The Fighting Cocks safe to eat at?
A 3 means the pub met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was The Fighting Cocks last inspected?
The Fighting Cocks was last inspected on 18 November 2025, 7 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 Fighting Cocks?
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 "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Fighting Cocks compare to other places in Sevenoaks?
78% of the 853 rated food businesses in Sevenoaks hold the top rating of 5, while The Fighting Cocks holds a 3. 47 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Sevenoaks Council inspects The Fighting Cocks 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 Fighting Cocks 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 →