Royal Oak food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Dover
Royal Oak 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
The rating dates from 24 April 2025, 14 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: Royal Oak New Dover Road, Capel le Ferne, CT18 7HY
How it compares in Dover
In Dover, 82% of rated places manage a 5, so Royal Oak sits behind roughly 1,006 nearby businesses. 4% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 892 | 82% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 114 | 10% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 45 | 4% | ← Royal Oak | |
| 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 Generally satisfactory
- 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 Royal Oak 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 Royal Oak, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clifftop Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 24 April 2025 |
| Capel Le Ferne Farmers Market Retailers - other | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 February 2025 |
| Coombe Valley Raceway Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 1.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 August 2024 |
| Havenfield Hall Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 1.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 October 2018 |
| Folkestone Baptist Church Other catering premises | 2.0 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 March 2026 |
| Little Acorns Pre-School Caring Premises | 2.0 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 October 2022 |
| Caretech - Martello Centre Other catering premises | 2.0 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 September 2025 |
| Folkestone Community Fridge Other catering premises | 2.2 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 September 2022 |
Questions about Royal Oak
What is Royal Oak's food hygiene rating?
Royal Oak has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Dover Council on 24 April 2025.
Is Royal Oak 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 Royal Oak last inspected?
Royal Oak was last inspected on 24 April 2025, 14 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 Royal Oak?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", 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 Royal Oak compare to other places in Dover?
82% of the 1,086 rated food businesses in Dover hold the top rating of 5, while Royal Oak holds a 3. 45 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Dover Council inspects Royal Oak 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 Royal Oak 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 →