Happy Samurai food hygiene rating
Other catering premises · Canterbury City
Happy Samurai holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The business 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
This is a fresh result: Happy Samurai was inspected on 26 May 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.
Address: 4 Butchery Lane, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2JR
How it compares in Canterbury City
In Canterbury City, 78% of rated places manage a 5, so Happy Samurai sits behind roughly 1,346 nearby businesses. 8% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,161 | 78% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 185 | 12% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 120 | 8% | ← Happy Samurai | |
| 2 out of 5 | 14 | 1% | ||
| 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 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 Happy Samurai 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 Happy Samurai, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amorino Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 41 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 October 2024 |
| Buenos Aires Nights Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 48 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 July 2025 |
| Canterbury Cathedral Shop Retailers - other | 55 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 November 2023 |
| Cathedral Gate Hotel Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 56 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 November 2024 |
| Canterbury Tails Cat Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 67 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 August 2025 |
| Bird & Blend Tea Co Takeaway/sandwich shop | 71 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 May 2024 |
| Bubbleology Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 98 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 September 2023 |
| Canterbury Wholefoods Retailers - other | 113 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 January 2026 |
Questions about Happy Samurai
What is Happy Samurai's food hygiene rating?
Happy Samurai has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Canterbury City Council on 26 May 2026.
Is Happy Samurai safe to eat at?
A 3 means the business 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 Happy Samurai last inspected?
Happy Samurai was last inspected on 26 May 2026, a month 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 Happy Samurai?
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 Happy Samurai 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 Happy Samurai holds a 3. 120 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Canterbury City Council inspects Happy Samurai 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 Happy Samurai and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
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 →