The Old SmokeHouse food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Canterbury City
The Old SmokeHouse holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the restaurant are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 17 November 2025, 7 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: 108 High Street, Herne Bay, Kent, CT6 5JY
How it compares in Canterbury City
In Canterbury City, 78% of rated places manage a 5, so The Old SmokeHouse sits behind roughly 1,160 nearby businesses. 13% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,160 | 78% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 186 | 13% | ← The Old SmokeHouse | |
| 3 out of 5 | 120 | 8% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 14 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 2 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 166 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 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 Old SmokeHouse 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 Old SmokeHouse, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Anchor Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 23 October 2025 |
| Beaute Lab Academy Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 37 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 November 2025 |
| Herne Bay Baptist Church Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 53 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 September 2025 |
| Herne Bay Constitutional Club Ltd Pub/bar/nightclub | 90 yards away | 5 - Very good | 13 November 2024 |
| Herne Bay Mini Market Ltd Retailers - other | 97 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 January 2024 |
| Briggsys Emporium Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 103 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 June 2025 |
| Domino's Pizza Takeaway/sandwich shop | 107 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 January 2026 |
| 49 Mortimer Street Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 107 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 November 2025 |
Questions about The Old SmokeHouse
What is The Old SmokeHouse's food hygiene rating?
The Old SmokeHouse has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Canterbury City Council on 17 November 2025.
Is The Old SmokeHouse safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this restaurant to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Old SmokeHouse last inspected?
The Old SmokeHouse was last inspected on 17 November 2025, 7 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Canterbury City Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Old SmokeHouse?
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 "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Old SmokeHouse compare to other places in Canterbury City?
78% of the 1,483 rated food businesses in Canterbury City hold the top rating of 5, while The Old SmokeHouse holds a 4. 186 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Canterbury City Council inspects The Old SmokeHouse 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 Old SmokeHouse 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 Old SmokeHouse is one of 277 rated food businesses in Herne Bay. See every hygiene rating in Herne Bay →
Canterbury City inspects and rates 1,649 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Canterbury City →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.canterbury.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 →