The Chocolate Shop food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Sevenoaks
The Chocolate Shop holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The shop met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 17 September 2024, 21 months ago. That is getting on for the longest gap councils usually leave, so the score may not reflect how the business is run today.
Address: 69 London Road, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 1AX
How it compares in Sevenoaks
In Sevenoaks, 78% of rated places manage a 5, so The Chocolate Shop sits behind roughly 788 nearby businesses. 6% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 669 | 78% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 119 | 14% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 47 | 6% | ← The Chocolate Shop | |
| 2 out of 5 | 13 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 6 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 103 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Generally satisfactory
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety Generally satisfactory
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 Chocolate Shop 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 Chocolate Shop, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marks & Spencer Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 54 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 March 2026 |
| Lime Tree Work Shop Other catering premises | 100 yards away | 5 - Very good | 13 June 2025 |
| Caffe Nero Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 133 yards away | 5 - Very good | 2 August 2024 |
| Holland And Barrett Retailers - other | 133 yards away | 5 - Very good | 31 May 2024 |
| Joe & The Juice Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 136 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 February 2026 |
| Gail's Sevenoaks Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 146 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 November 2025 |
| Cupp Bubble Tea - Sevenoaks Takeaway/sandwich shop | 152 yards away | 5 - Very good | 2 August 2023 |
| Costa Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 156 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 October 2024 |
Questions about The Chocolate Shop
What is The Chocolate Shop's food hygiene rating?
The Chocolate Shop has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Sevenoaks Council on 17 September 2024.
Is The Chocolate Shop safe to eat at?
A 3 means the shop met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was The Chocolate Shop last inspected?
The Chocolate Shop was last inspected on 17 September 2024, 21 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Sevenoaks Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Chocolate Shop?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Chocolate Shop compare to other places in Sevenoaks?
78% of the 854 rated food businesses in Sevenoaks hold the top rating of 5, while The Chocolate Shop holds a 3. 47 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Sevenoaks Council inspects The Chocolate Shop 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 Chocolate Shop and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Sevenoaks inspects and rates 957 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Sevenoaks →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.sevenoaks.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 →