Esquires Coffee House food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Maidstone
Esquires Coffee House holds a 0, the lowest food hygiene rating possible, meaning urgent improvement is necessary. The inspector found serious problems at the restaurant requiring immediate action.
The rating: 0 - Urgent improvement necessary
The rating dates from 20 March 2026, 3 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: 23 Gabriels Hill, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 6HU
How it compares in Maidstone
A 0 is rare: only 2 of 1,387 rated places in Maidstone score this low, about one in 694. By contrast 82% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,136 | 82% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 165 | 12% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 61 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 11 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 12 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% | ← Esquires Coffee House |
A further 65 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Major improvement necessary
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Major improvement necessary
- How well they manage food safety Major improvement necessary
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 Esquires Coffee House the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled, the condition of the premises and confidence in management. Because the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, that is what holds the score down.
Food hygiene ratings nearby
The closest food businesses to Esquires Coffee House, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buzz Bingo - Maidstone Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 155 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 July 2025 |
| BBs Coffee And Muffins Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 186 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 December 2025 |
| B & M Retail Ltd Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 187 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 July 2026 |
| All Saints Community Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 196 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 November 2023 |
| Card Factory Retailers - other | 213 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 January 2020 |
| Appamma Kitchen Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 256 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 September 2025 |
| Ballin Maidstone Pub/bar/nightclub | 274 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 November 2025 |
| Big Boys Pizza Takeaway/sandwich shop | 281 yards away | 5 - Very good | 6 December 2024 |
Questions about Esquires Coffee House
What is Esquires Coffee House's food hygiene rating?
Esquires Coffee House has a food hygiene rating of 0 out of 5 (urgent improvement necessary), given by Maidstone Council on 20 March 2026.
Is Esquires Coffee House safe to eat at?
A 0 means urgent improvement is necessary: the inspector found serious problems. The restaurant may still be trading, because a rating is not a closure order, but this is the lowest score the scheme gives.
When was Esquires Coffee House last inspected?
Esquires Coffee House was last inspected on 20 March 2026, 3 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Maidstone Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Esquires Coffee House?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "major improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "major improvement necessary", and confidence in the management of food safety "major improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Esquires Coffee House compare to other places in Maidstone?
82% of the 1,387 rated food businesses in Maidstone hold the top rating of 5, while Esquires Coffee House holds a 0. 2 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Maidstone Council inspects Esquires Coffee House 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 Esquires Coffee House and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
Free, for three businesses, forever. No password, we send you a link. How rating alerts work →
Is this your business?
A rating of 0 is public, and most customers look. Only 18% of people say they would order from a business rated 2 or below, against 94% from one rated 4. Delivery platforms may decline to list you.
We cannot change this rating, and nor can you. It was set by an environmental health officer at Maidstone, and it stands until they inspect again. What you can do:
- Fix what the inspector found, then ask the council for a re-inspection. Most charge between £120 and £316, and will not re-visit within three months of the original inspection.
- If you believe the rating is simply wrong, you have 21 days from being notified to appeal to the council. That is 21 calendar days, not working days.
- You may submit a right to reply at any time. It is published alongside the rating, here, and on the FSA's own site.
What a low rating means → · How re-inspections and appeals work →
Your council: Maidstone
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Maidstone inspects and rates 1,452 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Maidstone →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.maidstone.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 →