The Dove Cafe food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Hastings
The Dove Cafe holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the restaurant met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
The rating dates from 19 December 2025, 6 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: Shop And Premises 19 Bexhill Road, St Leonards-on-Sea, TN38 0AH
How it compares in Hastings
That puts The Dove Cafe among the 749 places in Hastings holding top marks, 91% of everywhere the council rates. A 5 is the norm here rather than the exception, so it is the rating to expect, not to be impressed by.
| 5 out of 5 | 749 | 91% | ← The Dove Cafe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 37 | 5% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 23 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 2 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 90 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 Good
- How well they manage food safety Good
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 Dove Cafe 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 Dove Cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appleyards Butchers Retailers - other | 35 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 March 2024 |
| Aspens Charities Caring Premises | 241 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 July 2025 |
| 15 Grosvenor Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 244 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 October 2025 |
| Avanti Caring Premises | 430 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 July 2025 |
| Bethune Court Care Home Caring Premises | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 July 2025 |
| Bishops corner Caring Premises | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 27 September 2024 |
| Berties Ice Cream Van Mobile caterer | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 July 2024 |
| Aldi Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 7 March 2024 |
Questions about The Dove Cafe
What is The Dove Cafe's food hygiene rating?
The Dove Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Hastings Council on 19 December 2025.
Is The Dove Cafe safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 5 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this restaurant to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Dove Cafe last inspected?
The Dove Cafe was last inspected on 19 December 2025, 6 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Hastings Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Dove Cafe?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Dove Cafe compare to other places in Hastings?
91% of the 821 rated food businesses in Hastings hold the top rating of 5, and The Dove Cafe is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Hastings Council inspects The Dove Cafe 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 Dove Cafe 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 Dove Cafe is one of 325 rated food businesses in St Leonards-on-Sea. See every hygiene rating in St Leonards-on-Sea →
Hastings inspects and rates 911 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Hastings →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.hastings.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 →