The Tesco cafe at Whitstable, rated 2 in August, was re-rated 5 on 30 September. Plus the latest Canterbury district 5s and early September's lower scores.
The Tesco cafe at Whitstable has gone from a food hygiene rating of 2 to the top rating of 5 in seven weeks.
The cafe, at the Millstrood Road store, was rated 2, “improvement necessary”, after an inspection on 10 August. We reported that rating on 25 September. The Food Standards Agency’s register now shows a new rating of 5, “very good”, dated 30 September.
All figures here come from the FSA register for the Canterbury City Council area, read on 10 October.
How the cafe’s scores changed
The register scores three areas. A lower score is better, and 0 is the best possible.
| Hygiene | Structure | Management | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 August | 5 | 15 | 5 | 2 |
| 30 September | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
The big change was in the structure score, which covers the cleanliness and condition of the building, its layout, ventilation, hand washing facilities and pest control. In August that was the cafe’s weak point. By September the hygiene and management scores were both perfect.
A business can ask for a re-inspection once it has made the improvements the inspector asked for. The register does not say whether this one was requested.
The latest 5s
These ratings of 5 were added since our last roundup, dated 23 to 30 September:
- Canterbury: KFC at Maybrook Retail Park; Lost Sheep Coffee, St George’s Lane; the school kitchen run by Independent Catering Management at Barton Court Grammar School, Longport
- Whitstable: David Brown Delicatessen, 5 High Street; Tesco Cafe, Millstrood Road
- Herne Bay: Herne Bay Food Centre, 12 High Street; The Hailey care home, Beacon Hill; Whitebirch Lodge care home, Canterbury Road
- Westbere: Ye Olde Yew Tree, Westbere Lane
Early September’s lower ratings
Ratings below 5 are published three to five weeks after the inspection, so only the first few days of September have come through. The register shows:
| Business | Where | Inspected | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longport Cafe | 9 Longport, Canterbury | 2 September | 3 |
| The Snuggery | 27 St Peter’s Street, Canterbury | 2 September | 4 |
| Lily’s Social Kitchen | 10 Guildhall Street, Canterbury | 4 September | 4 |
A 3 means “generally satisfactory” and a 4 “good”. At Longport Cafe the weaker scores were for hygiene and management (10 each); the building scored 5. Each business has a right of reply, published on the register.
So far the register holds 48 ratings dated September: 45 fives, two 4s and one 3. That will change as later inspections clear the waiting period. We will publish the full September picture in late October.
August, settled
August’s list has now grown to 64 ratings, from 59 when we last looked. It has 44 fives, eight 4s, eleven 3s and one 2, at Royal Charcoal Grill & Pizza on Herne Bay High Street. The Tesco cafe no longer counts in August, because its current rating is September’s.
What it means for you
- Check before you book: search any business on the FSA register, which shows the date of its last inspection.
- A low rating is not the end of the story: as the Tesco cafe shows, a business can fix the problems and be re-rated within weeks.
- To report a concern about a food business, contact Canterbury City Council’s food safety team through the FSA’s report a food problem service.
Sources
- Food Standards Agency, food hygiene rating register, Canterbury City Council area (authority 250), read 10 October 2026
- Food Standards Agency, FHRS guidance for businesses, on publication timing, re-inspections and the right of reply
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