The Mad Cow food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Swansea
The Mad Cow holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the restaurant are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 24 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: Unit 2 Castle Arcade, Castle Street, SA1 1HY
How it compares in Swansea
In Swansea, 68% of rated places manage a 5, so The Mad Cow sits behind roughly 1,463 nearby businesses. 19% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,463 | 68% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 412 | 19% | ← The Mad Cow | |
| 3 out of 5 | 210 | 10% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 27 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 20 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 5 | <1% |
A further 296 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Very good
- 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 The Mad Cow 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 Mad Cow, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee #1 Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 100 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 April 2026 |
| BT Swansea Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 140 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 March 2022 |
| B&M Store Retailers - other | 206 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 April 2018 |
| Ask Italian inc. Coco Di Mama Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 225 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 April 2026 |
| Bonnie Rogues Swansea Pub/bar/nightclub | 239 yards away | 5 - Very good | 2 March 2025 |
| Bambu Beach Bar Pub/bar/nightclub | 281 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 February 2014 |
| Caffe Lucia Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 285 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 December 2025 |
| Chopstix Noodle Bar Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 318 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 March 2025 |
Questions about The Mad Cow
What is The Mad Cow's food hygiene rating?
The Mad Cow has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Swansea Council on 24 November 2025.
Is The Mad Cow safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this restaurant to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Mad Cow last inspected?
The Mad Cow was last inspected on 24 November 2025, 7 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Swansea Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Mad Cow?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", 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 The Mad Cow compare to other places in Swansea?
68% of the 2,137 rated food businesses in Swansea hold the top rating of 5, while The Mad Cow holds a 4. 412 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Swansea Council inspects The Mad Cow 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 Mad Cow and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Swansea inspects and rates 2,433 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Swansea →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.swansea.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 →