Updown food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Dover
Updown holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the restaurant and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 22 April 2026, 2 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: Updown Farm Updown Road, Betteshanger, CT14 0EF
How it compares in Dover
A 1 is rare: only 15 of 1,086 rated places in Dover score this low, about one in 72. By contrast 82% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 892 | 82% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 113 | 10% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 46 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 18 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 15 | 1% | ← Updown | |
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 112 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 Good
- How well they manage food safety Major improvement necessary
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 Updown the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled and confidence in management. 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 Updown, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Promis Clinic Caring Premises | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 29 May 2025 |
| Five Bells Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 February 2025 |
| Infinitea Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 9 April 2025 |
| Optima Care Caring Premises | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 7 August 2024 |
| First Choice Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 19 September 2024 |
| S And C Baitup Family Butcher Manufacturers/packers | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 December 2025 |
| Bakers Dozen Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 29 January 2026 |
| Premier (Eastry Village Supermarket) Retailers - other | 1.0 miles away | 1 - Major improvement necessary | 5 June 2026 |
Questions about Updown
What is Updown's food hygiene rating?
Updown has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Dover Council on 22 April 2026.
Is Updown safe to eat at?
A 1 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 Updown last inspected?
Updown was last inspected on 22 April 2026, 2 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Dover Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Updown?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "major improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Updown compare to other places in Dover?
82% of the 1,086 rated food businesses in Dover hold the top rating of 5, while Updown holds a 1. 15 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Dover Council inspects Updown 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 Updown 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 1 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 Dover, 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: Dover
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Dover inspects and rates 1,198 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Dover →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.dover.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 →