All 24 September food hygiene ratings in Ashford borough are 5s, and 89.4% of rated premises hold a 5, second in Kent. Two Tenterden-area places got a 2.
Every food hygiene rating published so far for an inspection in Ashford borough in September is a 5. There are 24 of them, from a Station Road burger bar to the Rare Breeds Centre’s catering at Woodchurch.
The borough also does well against the rest of the county. Of the 1,167 Ashford premises that hold a rating, 1,043 are rated 5. That is 89.4%, the second-highest share of the 13 council areas in Kent and Medway, behind only Thanet.
All the figures here come from the Food Standards Agency’s register, which we read in full on 6 October 2026.
The September 5s
A 5 means hygiene standards are “very good”. These are the 24 ratings dated September, in date order. Where the register gives only a postcode district, the business is usually run from a home address, and we give the district alone.
| Business | Where | Inspected |
|---|---|---|
| Bun Buddies | Mobile caterer, TN26 | 2 September |
| Rosie's Bakes | TN24 | 2 September |
| Towers Tiny Tots Day Nursery | Towers School, Faversham Road, Kennington | 2 September |
| Karoben Limited, Park Farm Stables | Bell Road, Smarden | 3 September |
| The Wellnest Coffee Shop | Lake House, Maidstone Road, Westwell | 3 September |
| Ashford Play Nursery | 43 Albert Road, Ashford | 7 September |
| Canterbury Oast Trust Rare Breeds Centre | Warehorne Road, Woodchurch | 7 September |
| The Ferry Inn | Appledore Road, Stone-in-Oxney | 8 September |
| Coco and Petal Cakery | TN23 | 9 September |
| K Danton Kent Honey | TN27 | 11 September |
| Chart Hills Golf Club | Weeks Lane, Biddenden | 15 September |
| Mitch's Ices | Mobile caterer, TN27 | 15 September |
| Joseph and Sons Local Limited | 63 Gladstone Road, Willesborough | 17 September |
| Rustlings Apiary | TN27 | 18 September |
| The Pavilion Pantry | Charing Sports and Social Club, The Moat, Charing | 18 September |
| Cook Stars Ashford to Tenterden | TN24 | 21 September |
| The Reluctant Chef | TN30 | 21 September |
| Woodside Spa | No address on the register | 21 September |
| Champmenu | TN25 | 22 September |
| Stepre Tasty Kitchen | Mobile caterer, TN23 | 22 September |
| Independent Catering Management, Great Chart Primary School | Hoxton Close, Singleton | 23 September |
| Sissys | TN26 | 23 September |
| SMASH & SHAKE | 115 Station Road, Ashford | 23 September |
| The Wyvern Cafe | The Wyvern School, Great Chart | 23 September |
Several of these are a long way from the town. Stone-in-Oxney is about nine miles south-west of Ashford, and Chart Hills at Biddenden about ten miles west.
The list may still grow. A business has 21 days to appeal its rating, so the register can lag an inspection by several weeks. Any lower September scores would appear then.
How Ashford compares with the rest of Kent
We counted every premises with a rating of 0 to 5 in each of the 13 council areas. Those awaiting inspection, and those exempt from the scheme, are left out. In Ashford that leaves out 80 premises awaiting a first inspection and 37 exempt ones.
| Council area | Premises rated | Rated 5 | Share rated 5 | Rated 0, 1 or 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanet | 1,509 | 1,442 | 95.6% | 10 |
| Ashford | 1,167 | 1,043 | 89.4% | 14 |
| Gravesham | 771 | 682 | 88.5% | 5 |
| Folkestone and Hythe | 1,164 | 991 | 85.1% | 8 |
| Maidstone | 1,393 | 1,158 | 83.1% | 23 |
| Canterbury | 1,478 | 1,145 | 77.5% | 24 |
The neighbours shown are the ones Ashford residents are most likely to eat in. The chart has all 13. No Ashford premises currently holds a 0, the lowest rating. Maidstone has two.
The ratings below 5 since July
Inspections from August have now cleared the appeal window. Of the 41 dated August, 32 scored 5, four scored 4, three scored 3 and two scored 2. Both 2s are near Tenterden, about ten miles south-west of Ashford.
- St Michaels Fish and Chips, Unit 2 Ashford Road, St Michaels, was rated 2 after an inspection on 27 August. A 2 means “improvement necessary”. The register marks hygienic food handling as needing improvement. The building and the management of food safety were both “generally satisfactory”.
- Silcocks Farm Shop and Cafe, Grange Road, Tenterden, was rated 2 on 20 August. The register does not publish its breakdown of scores.
In Ashford itself, Ashford Fishmongers Limited (TN23) was rated 2 on 23 July. Food handling and the condition of the premises were both marked as needing improvement.
Three August inspections produced a 3, which means “generally satisfactory”:
- Fireaway Ashford, Elwick Road, on 5 August
- The Quarry House Tea Rooms, Aldington, on 5 August
- Caffe Nero at Ashford Designer Outlet, on 10 August
None of the businesses named here has added a reply to the register, and none is shown as awaiting a new rating. A rating stands until the council inspects again. A business can appeal, ask for a re-inspection once it has made the improvements, or publish its own response on the register.
What it means for you
Food businesses in the borough are inspected by Ashford Borough Council’s environmental health team, and every rating ends up on the FSA register. Search a takeaway or cafe by name before you order. Premises in England do not have to display their sticker, so the register is the only reliable place to see it.
Fourteen Ashford borough premises hold a 1 or a 2 today, out of 1,167. Some of those ratings date from 2025. Check the inspection date beside each one: a rating says how a kitchen was on the day, not how it is now.
If you think a food business has a hygiene problem, the FSA’s report a food problem service sends it to the council.
We will publish October’s ratings in the first week of November.
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