Slow Boat food hygiene rating
Takeaway/sandwich shop · Cheshire West and Chester
Slow Boat holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The takeaway 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
This is a fresh result: Slow Boat was inspected on 30 July 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.
This sits in the middle for Cheshire West and Chester, where 2% of rated places score below 3 and 92% score 4 or 5. See all Cheshire West and Chester ratings →
Address: 288 Chester Road, Hartford, Northwich, CW8 2AB
How this rating has changed
Slow Boat has gone backwards: it held a 5 before its inspection on 30 July 2026, and now holds a 3.
| Inspected | Rating | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 30 July 2026 | 5 3 | Worse |
The FSA publishes only a business's current rating. This history is our own record of what it has scored since we began watching.
How it compares in Cheshire West and Chester
In Cheshire West and Chester, 81% of rated places manage a 5, so Slow Boat sits behind roughly 2,467 nearby businesses. 6% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 2,173 | 81% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 294 | 11% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 153 | 6% | ← Slow Boat | |
| 2 out of 5 | 35 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 38 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 254 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 Slow Boat 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 Slow Boat, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford Primary School School/college/university | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 11 June 2026 |
| Co-Op Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 July 2026 |
| Grange Junior School School/college/university | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 February 2026 |
| Fun Fest Hartford Manor School/college/university | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 December 2025 |
| Hartford Manor C P School School/college/university | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 December 2025 |
| Hartford Manor Primary School & Nursery School Club School/college/university | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 December 2025 |
| Hartford Hall Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 3 August 2026 |
| Hartford Golf Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 1.0 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 June 2025 |
Questions about Slow Boat
What is Slow Boat's food hygiene rating?
Slow Boat has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Cheshire West and Chester Council on 30 July 2026.
Is Slow Boat safe to eat at?
A 3 means the takeaway 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 Slow Boat last inspected?
Slow Boat was last inspected on 30 July 2026, a month ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Cheshire West and Chester Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Slow Boat?
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 Slow Boat compare to other places in Cheshire West and Chester?
81% of the 2,695 rated food businesses in Cheshire West and Chester hold the top rating of 5, while Slow Boat holds a 3. 153 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Cheshire West and Chester Council inspects Slow Boat 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 Slow Boat and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Slow Boat is one of 496 rated food businesses in Northwich. See every hygiene rating in Northwich →
Cheshire West and Chester inspects and rates 2,949 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Cheshire West and Chester →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.cheshirewestandchester.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 →