The Garden Restaurant food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Ashford
The Garden Restaurant 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 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: Ripleys Garden Centre Ashford Road, Bethersden, TN26 3LF
How it compares in Ashford
That puts The Garden Restaurant among the 1,039 places in Ashford holding top marks, 89% 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 | 1,039 | 89% | ← The Garden Restaurant | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 90 | 8% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 19 | 2% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 3 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 106 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 Garden Restaurant 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 Garden Restaurant, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ripleys Garden Centre Ltd Retailers - other | at this address | Exempt | |
| Chequer Tree Fishery Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 May 2021 |
| Bull Green Farm Shop Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 3 June 2015 |
| The Bull Inn Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 19 July 2024 |
| CareTech Community Services Limited Whiston House Caring Premises | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 September 2025 |
| Bethersden Playschool Caring Premises | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 9 November 2023 |
| Pabulum Limited Bethersden County Primary School School/college/university | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 July 2025 |
| Jennings Plantry Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 August 2025 |
Questions about The Garden Restaurant
What is The Garden Restaurant's food hygiene rating?
The Garden Restaurant has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Ashford Council on 19 August 2025.
Is The Garden Restaurant 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 Garden Restaurant last inspected?
The Garden Restaurant was last inspected on 19 August 2025, 10 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Ashford Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Garden Restaurant?
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 Garden Restaurant compare to other places in Ashford?
89% of the 1,162 rated food businesses in Ashford hold the top rating of 5, and The Garden Restaurant is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Ashford Council inspects The Garden Restaurant 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 Garden Restaurant 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 Garden Restaurant is one of 15 rated food businesses in Bethersden. See every hygiene rating in Bethersden →
Ashford inspects and rates 1,268 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Ashford →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.ashford.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 →