The Fat Gherkin food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Lisburn and Castlereagh City
The Fat Gherkin 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 23 July 2025, 11 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: 57 Main Street, Moira, Moira, BT67 0LH
How it compares in Lisburn and Castlereagh City
That puts The Fat Gherkin among the 837 places in Lisburn and Castlereagh City holding top marks, 92% 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 | 837 | 92% | ← The Fat Gherkin | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 64 | 7% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 9 | 1% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 3 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 1 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 87 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 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 The Fat Gherkin 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 Fat Gherkin, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carthago Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 6 January 2026 |
| Midnight Haunt Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 27 April 2026 |
| Moon Gelato Manufacturers/packers | at this address | 5 - Very good | 30 September 2025 |
| Turkish Kebab And pizzeria Moira Takeaway/sandwich shop | at this address | 5 - Very good | 11 March 2026 |
| Winemark 128 Retailers - other | at this address | 5 - Very good | 17 October 2022 |
| Origin 101 Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 70 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 June 2025 |
| The Quirky Bird Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 94 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 January 2026 |
| The Pie Shop Retailers - other | 132 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 December 2025 |
Questions about The Fat Gherkin
What is The Fat Gherkin's food hygiene rating?
The Fat Gherkin has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council on 23 July 2025.
Is The Fat Gherkin 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 The Fat Gherkin last inspected?
The Fat Gherkin was last inspected on 23 July 2025, 11 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Fat Gherkin?
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 "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Fat Gherkin compare to other places in Lisburn and Castlereagh City?
92% of the 914 rated food businesses in Lisburn and Castlereagh City hold the top rating of 5, and The Fat Gherkin is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council inspects The Fat Gherkin 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 Fat Gherkin and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Fat Gherkin is one of 41 rated food businesses in Armagh. See every hygiene rating in Armagh →
Lisburn and Castlereagh City inspects and rates 1,001 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Lisburn and Castlereagh City →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.lisburncastlereagh.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 →