Holy Mackerel Cafe food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Cornwall
Holy Mackerel Cafe 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 4 June 2025, 13 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: The Chapel, Helford, Helston, TR12 6JU
How it compares in Cornwall
That puts Holy Mackerel Cafe among the 4,461 places in Cornwall holding top marks, 85% 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 | 4,461 | 85% | ← Holy Mackerel Cafe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 522 | 10% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 212 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 42 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 38 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 51 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Good
- How well they manage food safety 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 Holy Mackerel Cafe 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 Holy Mackerel Cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Shipwrights Arms Pub/bar/nightclub | 103 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 July 2025 |
| Helford Village Stores Retailers - other | 103 yards away | 4 - Good | 3 June 2026 |
| Helford River Sailing Club Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 426 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 August 2025 |
| Ferryboat Inn Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 November 2024 |
| Manaccan Primary School Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 October 2025 |
| The New Inn Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 January 2025 |
| Helford River Distillery Ltd Manufacturers/packers | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 March 2022 |
Questions about Holy Mackerel Cafe
What is Holy Mackerel Cafe's food hygiene rating?
Holy Mackerel Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Cornwall Council on 4 June 2025.
Is Holy Mackerel Cafe 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 Holy Mackerel Cafe last inspected?
Holy Mackerel Cafe was last inspected on 4 June 2025, 13 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Cornwall Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Holy Mackerel Cafe?
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 Holy Mackerel Cafe compare to other places in Cornwall?
85% of the 5,277 rated food businesses in Cornwall hold the top rating of 5, and Holy Mackerel Cafe is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Cornwall Council inspects Holy Mackerel Cafe 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 Holy Mackerel Cafe and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Holy Mackerel Cafe is one of 224 rated food businesses in Helston. See every hygiene rating in Helston →
Cornwall inspects and rates 5,328 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Cornwall →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.cornwall.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 →