5

The Cottage food hygiene rating

Other catering premises · North Kesteven

The Cottage holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the business met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 9 June 2011, more than 15 years ago. A lot can change in a kitchen in that time, and a rating this old says more about the business then than now. Councils prioritise re-inspecting higher-risk premises, so a long gap often means the business is considered low-risk.

Address: The Cottage Heath Farm, Heath Road, LN4 3JD

How it compares in North Kesteven

That puts The Cottage among the 860 places in North Kesteven holding top marks, 93% 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.

Every rated food business in North Kesteven
5 out of 5 860 93% ← The Cottage
4 out of 5 55 6%
3 out of 5 8 1%
2 out of 5 0 0%
1 out of 5 1 <1%
0 out of 5 0 0%

A further 52 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.

What the inspector found

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 Cottage 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 Cottage, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
The Croft Other catering premises at this address 5 - Very good 16 June 2009
The Holt Other catering premises at this address 5 - Very good 10 January 2018
The Oaks Resource Centre Other catering premises at this address 5 - Very good 16 June 2009
The Paddocks Other catering premises at this address 5 - Very good 15 September 2011
RAF Digby Sports and Social Club Pub/bar/nightclub 0.3 miles away 4 - Good 23 September 2015
Cost Cutter Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 22 April 2026
D'Caff Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 22 April 2026
The Hive Coffee Shop Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 22 April 2026

Questions about The Cottage

What is The Cottage's food hygiene rating?

The Cottage has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by North Kesteven Council on 9 June 2011.

Is The Cottage 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 business to be very good, the top end of the scale.

When was The Cottage last inspected?

The Cottage was last inspected on 9 June 2011, more than 15 years ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by North Kesteven Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at The Cottage?

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 "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.

How does The Cottage compare to other places in North Kesteven?

93% of the 924 rated food businesses in North Kesteven hold the top rating of 5, and The Cottage is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

North Kesteven Council inspects The Cottage 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 Cottage 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

North Kesteven inspects and rates 976 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in North Kesteven

The official record is held by the council: http://www.n-kesteven.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 →