The Star food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Tunbridge Wells
The Star holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The pub 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 28 August 2025, 10 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 Star Inn, Maidstone Road, Matfield, TN12 7JR
How it compares in Tunbridge Wells
In Tunbridge Wells, 83% of rated places manage a 5, so The Star sits behind roughly 974 nearby businesses. 4% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 860 | 83% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 114 | 11% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 46 | 4% | ← The Star | |
| 2 out of 5 | 9 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 9 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 45 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 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 Star 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 Star, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Poet At Matfield Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 139 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 January 2025 |
| Hammonds Butchers Retailers - other | 222 yards away | 5 - Very good | 2 March 2026 |
| Caterlink Ltd At Brenchley And Matfield CofE Primary School School/college/university | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 May 2025 |
| Newton Lang Childcare After School Club School/college/university | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 28 July 2020 |
| The Hopbine Inn Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 13 May 2026 |
| Brenchley Pre School Caring Premises | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 13 May 2022 |
| Grays Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 April 2025 |
| Little Birches Brenchley Caring Premises | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 February 2025 |
Questions about The Star
What is The Star's food hygiene rating?
The Star has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Tunbridge Wells Council on 28 August 2025.
Is The Star safe to eat at?
A 3 means the pub 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 Star last inspected?
The Star was last inspected on 28 August 2025, 10 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Tunbridge Wells Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Star?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", 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 Star compare to other places in Tunbridge Wells?
83% of the 1,038 rated food businesses in Tunbridge Wells hold the top rating of 5, while The Star holds a 3. 46 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Tunbridge Wells Council inspects The Star 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 Star and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Star is one of 79 rated food businesses in Tonbridge. See every hygiene rating in Tonbridge →
Tunbridge Wells inspects and rates 1,083 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Tunbridge Wells →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.tunbridgewells.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 →