The Royal Oak Hotel food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Tunbridge Wells
The Royal Oak Hotel holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The pub 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
This is a fresh result: The Royal Oak Hotel was inspected on 7 June 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.
Address: Royal Oak Hotel, Rye Road, Hawkhurst, TN18 4EP
How it compares in Tunbridge Wells
In Tunbridge Wells, 83% of rated places manage a 5, so The Royal Oak Hotel sits behind roughly 974 nearby businesses. 4% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 860 | 83% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 114 | 11% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 46 | 4% | ← The Royal Oak Hotel | |
| 2 out of 5 | 9 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 9 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 45 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 Royal Oak Hotel 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 Royal Oak Hotel, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zan Chinese Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 4 - Good | 11 June 2025 |
| Prince Of Kent Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 3 September 2025 |
| Kino Digital Ltd Other catering premises | 10 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 August 2025 |
| Park Farm Butchers Retailers - other | 47 yards away | 5 - Very good | 6 August 2025 |
| Tesco Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 50 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 March 2026 |
| The Rye Bakery Retailers - other | 59 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 June 2026 |
| Colonnade Kebab And Pizza Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 60 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 August 2024 |
| Hawkhurst Pharmacy Retailers - other | 60 yards away | Exempt |
Questions about The Royal Oak Hotel
What is The Royal Oak Hotel's food hygiene rating?
The Royal Oak Hotel has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Tunbridge Wells Council on 7 June 2026.
Is The Royal Oak Hotel safe to eat at?
A 3 means the pub 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 Royal Oak Hotel last inspected?
The Royal Oak Hotel was last inspected on 7 June 2026, a month ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Tunbridge Wells Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Royal Oak Hotel?
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 Royal Oak Hotel compare to other places in Tunbridge Wells?
83% of the 1,038 rated food businesses in Tunbridge Wells hold the top rating of 5, while The Royal Oak Hotel holds a 3. 46 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Tunbridge Wells Council inspects The Royal Oak Hotel 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 Royal Oak Hotel 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 Royal Oak Hotel is one of 131 rated food businesses in Cranbrook. See every hygiene rating in Cranbrook →
Tunbridge Wells inspects and rates 1,083 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Tunbridge Wells →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.tunbridgewells.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 →