The Cheese Box food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Canterbury City
The Cheese Box holds a 2, which means some improvement is necessary. The inspector found problems at the shop that the business is required to fix.
The rating: 2 - Some improvement necessary
The rating dates from 19 December 2025, 6 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: 68 - 68A Oxford Street, Whitstable, Kent, CT5 1DG
How it compares in Canterbury City
A 2 is rare: only 14 of 1,483 rated places in Canterbury City score this low, about one in 106. By contrast 78% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,160 | 78% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 186 | 13% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 120 | 8% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 14 | 1% | ← The Cheese Box | |
| 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 Improvement necessary
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Improvement necessary
- 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 Cheese Box the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled and the condition of the premises. 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 The Cheese Box, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drift Bistro Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 40 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 June 2026 |
| British Legion Social Centre Pub/bar/nightclub | 49 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 April 2018 |
| Co-Op Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 72 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 March 2024 |
| Kakawa Artisan Chocolate & Co Ltd Retailers - other | 73 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 September 2024 |
| Inclusive Sport (After School Club) School/college/university | 119 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 February 2025 |
| Co-Op Stores Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 132 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 March 2026 |
| Castellum Pizzeria Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 137 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 December 2025 |
| Amedea Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 141 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 July 2025 |
Questions about The Cheese Box
What is The Cheese Box's food hygiene rating?
The Cheese Box has a food hygiene rating of 2 out of 5 (some improvement necessary), given by Canterbury City Council on 19 December 2025.
Is The Cheese Box safe to eat at?
A 2 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The shop 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 The Cheese Box last inspected?
The Cheese Box was last inspected on 19 December 2025, 6 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 Cheese Box?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "improvement necessary", 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 Cheese Box 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 Cheese Box holds a 2. 14 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Canterbury City Council inspects The Cheese Box 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 Cheese Box 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 2 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 Canterbury City, 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: Canterbury City
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Cheese Box is one of 294 rated food businesses in Whitstable. See every hygiene rating in Whitstable →
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 →