Secret Garden food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Ashford
Secret Garden 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 23 January 2025, 17 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: Mersham Le Hatch Business Village Hythe Road, Smeeth, TN25 6NH
How it compares in Ashford
That puts Secret Garden 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% | ← Secret Garden | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Secret Garden 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 Secret Garden, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent Cookery School The Courtyard School/college/university | at this address | 5 - Very good | 25 October 2022 |
| The Koyla Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 7 January 2026 |
| A20 Cafe Limited Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 420 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 May 2025 |
| Caldecott Foundation Summer House Caring Premises | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 20 March 2026 |
| Caldecott Foundation Hornbeam House Caring Premises | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 November 2025 |
| Mersham Stores Retailers - other | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 11 April 2025 |
| CareTech Community Services Limited Court Lodge Caring Premises | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 September 2014 |
| East Stour Cider Co Garage Building Manufacturers/packers | 1.0 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 December 2023 |
Questions about Secret Garden
What is Secret Garden's food hygiene rating?
Secret Garden has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Ashford Council on 23 January 2025.
Is Secret Garden 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 Secret Garden last inspected?
Secret Garden was last inspected on 23 January 2025, 17 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 Secret Garden?
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 Secret Garden compare to other places in Ashford?
89% of the 1,162 rated food businesses in Ashford hold the top rating of 5, and Secret Garden is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Ashford Council inspects Secret Garden 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 Secret Garden 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 →
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
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 →