Black Pepper Café Bistro food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Swale
Black Pepper Café Bistro 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 12 May 2026, 2 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: 26 The Forum, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 3DL
How it compares in Swale
That puts Black Pepper Café Bistro among the 989 places in Swale holding top marks, 83% 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 | 989 | 83% | ← Black Pepper Café Bistro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 134 | 11% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 41 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 6 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 13 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 3 | <1% |
A further 40 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Very good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Very good
- How well they manage food safety Very 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 Black Pepper Café Bistro 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 Black Pepper Café Bistro, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 16 April 2025 |
| Brew And Bagel Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 18 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 January 2026 |
| Cafe Local Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 87 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 December 2025 |
| Cedartree Preschool Caring Premises | 88 yards away | 5 - Very good | 6 February 2025 |
| Helps For All CIC Retailers - other | 88 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 March 2026 |
| Holland And Barrett Retailers - other | 92 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 October 2021 |
| Greggs Takeaway/sandwich shop | 92 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 January 2026 |
| Boyce's Bakery Retailers - other | 115 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 April 2025 |
Questions about Black Pepper Café Bistro
What is Black Pepper Café Bistro's food hygiene rating?
Black Pepper Café Bistro has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Swale Council on 12 May 2026.
Is Black Pepper Café Bistro 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 Black Pepper Café Bistro last inspected?
Black Pepper Café Bistro was last inspected on 12 May 2026, 2 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Swale Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Black Pepper Café Bistro?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "very good", and confidence in the management of food safety "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Black Pepper Café Bistro compare to other places in Swale?
83% of the 1,186 rated food businesses in Swale hold the top rating of 5, and Black Pepper Café Bistro is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Swale Council inspects Black Pepper Café Bistro 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 Black Pepper Café Bistro and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Black Pepper Café Bistro is one of 298 rated food businesses in Sittingbourne. See every hygiene rating in Sittingbourne →
Swale inspects and rates 1,226 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Swale →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.swale.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 →