Alkham Valley Garden Centre and Tearoom food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Dover
Alkham Valley Garden Centre and Tearoom holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The restaurant 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
The rating dates from 1 August 2025, 11 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: Alkham Valley Garden Centre Alkham Valley Road, Alkham, CT15 7EW
How it compares in Dover
In Dover, 82% of rated places manage a 5, so Alkham Valley Garden Centre and Tearoom sits behind roughly 1,005 nearby businesses. 4% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 892 | 82% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 113 | 10% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 46 | 4% | ← Alkham Valley Garden Centre and Tearoom | |
| 2 out of 5 | 18 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 15 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 112 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 Alkham Valley Garden Centre and Tearoom 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 Alkham Valley Garden Centre and Tearoom, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sladden Farm Manufacturers/packers | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 September 2025 |
| Little Oaks Capel Caring Premises | 1.2 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 February 2025 |
| Wolverton Court Caring Premises | 1.2 miles away | 5 - Very good | 11 September 2018 |
| Red Barn Events Other catering premises | 1.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 September 2024 |
| Coombe Valley Raceway Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 1.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 August 2024 |
| Little Satmar Holiday Park Retailers - other | 1.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 11 September 2024 |
| Havenfield Hall Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 1.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 October 2018 |
| Whole School Meals School/college/university | 1.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 November 2025 |
Questions about Alkham Valley Garden Centre and Tearoom
What is Alkham Valley Garden Centre and Tearoom's food hygiene rating?
Alkham Valley Garden Centre and Tearoom has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Dover Council on 1 August 2025.
Is Alkham Valley Garden Centre and Tearoom safe to eat at?
A 3 means the restaurant 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 Alkham Valley Garden Centre and Tearoom last inspected?
Alkham Valley Garden Centre and Tearoom was last inspected on 1 August 2025, 11 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 Alkham Valley Garden Centre and Tearoom?
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 Alkham Valley Garden Centre and Tearoom compare to other places in Dover?
82% of the 1,086 rated food businesses in Dover hold the top rating of 5, while Alkham Valley Garden Centre and Tearoom holds a 3. 46 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Dover Council inspects Alkham Valley Garden Centre and Tearoom 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 Alkham Valley Garden Centre and Tearoom and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Dover inspects and rates 1,198 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 →