Key Stores food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Dover
Key Stores holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the shop and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 1 July 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.
Only 2% of rated food businesses in Dover score 0 to 2 like this, so a low rating here is the exception, not the norm. See all Dover ratings →
Address: 45A Ark Lane, Deal, CT14 6PU
How this rating has changed
Key Stores has gone backwards: it held a 4 before its inspection on 1 July 2026, and now holds a 1. A rating of 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix.
| Inspected | Rating | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1 July 2026 | 4 1 | Worse |
The FSA publishes only a business's current rating. This history is our own record of what it has scored since we began watching.
How it compares in Dover
A 1 is rare: only 15 of 1,094 rated places in Dover score this low, about one in 73. By contrast 83% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 903 | 83% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 113 | 10% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 47 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 15 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 15 | 1% | ← Key Stores | |
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 118 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Major improvement necessary
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety Major improvement necessary
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 Key Stores the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled and confidence in management. 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 Key Stores, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engel's Paradise Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 179 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 July 2024 |
| Mace Retailers - other | 221 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 December 2023 |
| Fryer Tuck Takeaway/sandwich shop | 221 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 May 2026 |
| Deal Deli Retailers - other | 272 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 December 2023 |
| Deal Hoy/Scout Pizza Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 277 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 September 2025 |
| Miretti Pasticceria Retailers - other | 410 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 May 2025 |
| Peppers Healthfoods Retailers - other | 434 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 February 2024 |
| Bear's Well Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 December 2018 |
Questions about Key Stores
What is Key Stores's food hygiene rating?
Key Stores has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Dover Council on 1 July 2026.
Is Key Stores safe to eat at?
A 1 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 Key Stores last inspected?
Key Stores was last inspected on 1 July 2026, 2 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Dover Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Key Stores?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "major improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "major improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Key Stores compare to other places in Dover?
83% of the 1,094 rated food businesses in Dover hold the top rating of 5, while Key Stores holds a 1. 15 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Dover Council inspects Key Stores 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 Key Stores 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 1 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 Dover, 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: Dover
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Key Stores is one of 200 rated food businesses in Deal. See every hygiene rating in Deal →
Dover inspects and rates 1,212 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Dover →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.dover.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 →