Vale Bakery food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Tonbridge and Malling
Vale Bakery holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The shop 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 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: Vale Bakery, 211 Rochester Road, Burham, ME1 3SE
How it compares in Tonbridge and Malling
In Tonbridge and Malling, 80% of rated places manage a 5, so Vale Bakery sits behind roughly 894 nearby businesses. 6% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 771 | 80% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 123 | 13% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 56 | 6% | ← Vale Bakery | |
| 2 out of 5 | 18 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 0 | 0% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 84 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 Vale Bakery 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 Vale Bakery, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast Club School/college/university | 290 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 February 2012 |
| Caterlink Ltd At Burham School School/college/university | 290 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 September 2024 |
| Bluebells Catering And Tea Room Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 1.1 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 April 2026 |
| Co-op Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 1.1 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 August 2024 |
| Els Coffee Ltd Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 1.1 miles away | 5 - Very good | 27 March 2026 |
| Buckmore Park Karting Ltd Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 1.2 miles away | 5 - Very good | 24 April 2025 |
| Bridgewood Day Nursery Caring Premises | 1.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 April 2026 |
| Edenwood Place Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 1.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 August 2025 |
Questions about Vale Bakery
What is Vale Bakery's food hygiene rating?
Vale Bakery has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Tonbridge and Malling Council on 1 May 2026.
Is Vale Bakery safe to eat at?
A 3 means the shop 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 Vale Bakery last inspected?
Vale Bakery was last inspected on 1 May 2026, 2 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Tonbridge and Malling Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Vale Bakery?
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 Vale Bakery compare to other places in Tonbridge and Malling?
80% of the 968 rated food businesses in Tonbridge and Malling hold the top rating of 5, while Vale Bakery holds a 3. 56 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Tonbridge and Malling Council inspects Vale Bakery 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 Vale Bakery and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Vale Bakery is one of 23 rated food businesses in Rochester. See every hygiene rating in Rochester →
Tonbridge and Malling inspects and rates 1,052 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Tonbridge and Malling →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.tmbc.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 →