Mrs Knotts Tea Room food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Dover
Mrs Knotts Tea Room holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the restaurant met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
The rating dates from 25 May 2023, more than 3 years ago. A lot can change in a kitchen in that time, and a rating this old says more about the business then than now. Councils prioritise re-inspecting higher-risk premises, so a long gap often means the business is considered low-risk.
Address: West Cottage South Foreland Lighthouse The Front, St Margarets Bay, CT15 6HP
How it compares in Dover
That puts Mrs Knotts Tea Room among the 892 places in Dover holding top marks, 82% of everywhere the council rates. A 5 is the norm here rather than the exception, so it is the rating to expect, not to be impressed by.
| 5 out of 5 | 892 | 82% | ← Mrs Knotts Tea Room | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 113 | 10% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 46 | 4% | ||
| 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 Very good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Very good
- How well they manage food safety Very good
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 Mrs Knotts Tea Room 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 Mrs Knotts Tea Room, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Trust South Foreland Lighthouse Retailers - other | at this address | 5 - Very good | 25 May 2023 |
| First Light Bar and Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 August 2024 |
| Portal House School School/college/university | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 24 November 2025 |
Questions about Mrs Knotts Tea Room
What is Mrs Knotts Tea Room's food hygiene rating?
Mrs Knotts Tea Room has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Dover Council on 25 May 2023.
Is Mrs Knotts Tea Room safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 5 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this restaurant to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was Mrs Knotts Tea Room last inspected?
Mrs Knotts Tea Room was last inspected on 25 May 2023, more than 3 years 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 Mrs Knotts Tea Room?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "very good", and confidence in the management of food safety "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Mrs Knotts Tea Room compare to other places in Dover?
82% of the 1,086 rated food businesses in Dover hold the top rating of 5, and Mrs Knotts Tea Room is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Dover Council inspects Mrs Knotts Tea Room 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 Mrs Knotts Tea Room 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 →
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 →