Old Fat Ox food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Northumberland
Old Fat Ox 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 14 May 2026, 2 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: Holywell, Northumberland, NE25 0LJ
How it compares in Northumberland
In Northumberland, 90% of rated places manage a 5, so Old Fat Ox sits behind roughly 2,993 nearby businesses. 2% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 2,779 | 90% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 214 | 7% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 67 | 2% | ← Old Fat Ox | |
| 2 out of 5 | 7 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 8 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 397 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Generally satisfactory
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Good
- 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 Old Fat Ox 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 Old Fat Ox, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chill Out Time Childcare Caring Premises | 377 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 September 2024 |
| Concorde House & Friends Forum Caring Premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 April 2025 |
| Fire In The Hole Mobile caterer | 1.0 miles away | 5 - Very good | 31 May 2024 |
Questions about Old Fat Ox
What is Old Fat Ox's food hygiene rating?
Old Fat Ox has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Northumberland Council on 14 May 2026.
Is Old Fat Ox 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 Old Fat Ox last inspected?
Old Fat Ox was last inspected on 14 May 2026, 2 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Northumberland Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Old Fat Ox?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Old Fat Ox compare to other places in Northumberland?
90% of the 3,077 rated food businesses in Northumberland hold the top rating of 5, while Old Fat Ox holds a 3. 67 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Northumberland Council inspects Old Fat Ox 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 Old Fat Ox and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
Free, for three businesses, forever. No password, we send you a link. How rating alerts work →
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Northumberland inspects and rates 3,474 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Northumberland →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.northumberland.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 →