Royal Native Oyster Stores food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Canterbury City
Royal Native Oyster Stores holds a 2, which means some improvement is necessary. The inspector found problems at the restaurant that the business is required to fix.
The rating: 2 - Some improvement necessary
The rating dates from 16 September 2025, 9 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: Horsebridge Road, Whitstable, CT5 1BU
How it compares in Canterbury City
A 2 is rare: only 14 of 1,483 rated places in Canterbury City score this low, about one in 106. By contrast 78% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,161 | 78% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 185 | 12% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 120 | 8% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 14 | 1% | ← Royal Native Oyster Stores | |
| 1 out of 5 | 2 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 166 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Improvement necessary
- 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 Royal Native Oyster Stores the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled. 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 Royal Native Oyster Stores, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lazy Lobster Pub/bar/nightclub | 68 yards away | 5 - Very good | 6 June 2024 |
| Harbour Street Fish Bar Takeaway/sandwich shop | 99 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 October 2025 |
| Lotties Sweet Creams Manufacturers/packers | 105 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 August 2024 |
| HoneyKanes Ltd Retailers - other | 107 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 June 2025 |
| Gelataria Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 116 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 March 2026 |
| Harbour News Retailers - other | 131 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 December 2023 |
| Harbour Street Tapas Takeaway/sandwich shop | 138 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 February 2025 |
| David Brown Delicatessen Retailers - other | 145 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 July 2024 |
Questions about Royal Native Oyster Stores
What is Royal Native Oyster Stores's food hygiene rating?
Royal Native Oyster Stores has a food hygiene rating of 2 out of 5 (some improvement necessary), given by Canterbury City Council on 16 September 2025.
Is Royal Native Oyster Stores safe to eat at?
A 2 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The restaurant is not shut down, a rating is not a closure order, but standards were found to be below what the law expects at the time of inspection.
When was Royal Native Oyster Stores last inspected?
Royal Native Oyster Stores was last inspected on 16 September 2025, 9 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Canterbury City Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Royal Native Oyster Stores?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", 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 Royal Native Oyster Stores compare to other places in Canterbury City?
78% of the 1,483 rated food businesses in Canterbury City hold the top rating of 5, while Royal Native Oyster Stores holds a 2. 14 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Canterbury City Council inspects Royal Native Oyster Stores 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 Royal Native Oyster Stores 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 2 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 Canterbury City, 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: Canterbury City
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Royal Native Oyster Stores is one of 294 rated food businesses in Whitstable. See every hygiene rating in Whitstable →
Canterbury City inspects and rates 1,649 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Canterbury City →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.canterbury.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 →