The Lemon Tree food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Ashford
The Lemon Tree holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The restaurant 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
The rating dates from 17 September 2025, 9 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: 29-33 High Street, Tenterden, TN30 6BJ
How it compares in Ashford
In Ashford, 89% of rated places manage a 5, so The Lemon Tree sits behind roughly 1,129 nearby businesses. 2% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,039 | 89% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 90 | 8% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 19 | 2% | ← The Lemon Tree | |
| 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 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 The Lemon Tree 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 Lemon Tree, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Lemon Tree Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 3 - Generally satisfactory | 21 January 2025 |
| Judges Bakery Manufacturers/packers | 21 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 August 2025 |
| Tenterden Grill Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 23 yards away | 5 - Very good | 3 December 2025 |
| The Cranbrook Bakery Manufacturers/packers | 43 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 August 2025 |
| Coffee Pad Ltd Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 44 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 January 2026 |
| Anása Greek Mediterranean Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 46 yards away | 4 - Good | 12 November 2025 |
| Nutmeg Deli Retailers - other | 49 yards away | 5 - Very good | 6 August 2021 |
| Moretto's Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 50 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 November 2024 |
Questions about The Lemon Tree
What is The Lemon Tree's food hygiene rating?
The Lemon Tree has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Ashford Council on 17 September 2025.
Is The Lemon Tree safe to eat at?
A 3 means the restaurant 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 The Lemon Tree last inspected?
The Lemon Tree was last inspected on 17 September 2025, 9 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 Lemon Tree?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", 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 The Lemon Tree compare to other places in Ashford?
89% of the 1,162 rated food businesses in Ashford hold the top rating of 5, while The Lemon Tree holds a 3. 19 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Ashford Council inspects The Lemon Tree 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 Lemon Tree 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
The Lemon Tree is one of 103 rated food businesses in Tenterden. See every hygiene rating in Tenterden →
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 →