Cowherds food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Southampton
Cowherds holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the restaurant met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
The rating dates from 9 November 2024, 20 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 Common, Southampton, SO15 7NN
How it compares in Southampton
That puts Cowherds among the 1,016 places in Southampton holding top marks, 68% 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 | 1,016 | 68% | ← Cowherds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 278 | 19% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 146 | 10% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 23 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 21 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 218 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 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 Cowherds 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 Cowherds, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cafe At The Hawthorns Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 24 February 2026 |
| Bright Horizons Portswood Day Nursery and Preschool Caring Premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 October 2025 |
| Budwood Gordon Avenue Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 February 2024 |
| Banister Primary School School/college/university | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 February 2025 |
| Bellemoor Tavern Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 March 2026 |
| Al Baraka Superstore Retailers - other | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 31 January 2026 |
| Atherley Bowling Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 24 March 2026 |
| Brookvale House Caring Premises | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 June 2026 |
Questions about Cowherds
What is Cowherds's food hygiene rating?
Cowherds has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Southampton Council on 9 November 2024.
Is Cowherds 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 restaurant to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was Cowherds last inspected?
Cowherds was last inspected on 9 November 2024, 20 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Southampton Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Cowherds?
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 "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Cowherds compare to other places in Southampton?
68% of the 1,486 rated food businesses in Southampton hold the top rating of 5, and Cowherds is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Southampton Council inspects Cowherds 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 Cowherds and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Southampton inspects and rates 1,704 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Southampton →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.southampton.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 →