The Cross Keys food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Cheshire West and Chester
The Cross Keys holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the restaurant are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 12 December 2024, 19 months ago. That is getting on for the longest gap councils usually leave, so the score may not reflect how the business is run today.
Address: 2 Duke Street, Chester, CH1 1RP
How it compares in Cheshire West and Chester
In Cheshire West and Chester, 80% of rated places manage a 5, so The Cross Keys sits behind roughly 2,139 nearby businesses. 12% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 2,139 | 80% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 308 | 12% | ← The Cross Keys | |
| 3 out of 5 | 145 | 5% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 33 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 37 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 309 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 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 The Cross Keys 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 The Cross Keys, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bear And Billet Pub/bar/nightclub | 49 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 July 2024 |
| Bridge Street Townhouse Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 104 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 February 2025 |
| Abba Cakes Manufacturers/packers | 141 yards away | 5 - Very good | 6 January 2026 |
| AMNI Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 209 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 May 2024 |
| Artezzan Restaurant & Bar Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 209 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 November 2025 |
| American Pizza Slice Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 282 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 October 2024 |
| Abbeyfield House Caring Premises | 306 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 December 2025 |
| Brown Sugar Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 321 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 April 2026 |
Questions about The Cross Keys
What is The Cross Keys's food hygiene rating?
The Cross Keys has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Cheshire West and Chester Council on 12 December 2024.
Is The Cross Keys safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this restaurant to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Cross Keys last inspected?
The Cross Keys was last inspected on 12 December 2024, 19 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Cheshire West and Chester Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Cross Keys?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very 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 The Cross Keys compare to other places in Cheshire West and Chester?
80% of the 2,664 rated food businesses in Cheshire West and Chester hold the top rating of 5, while The Cross Keys holds a 4. 308 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Cheshire West and Chester Council inspects The Cross Keys 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 The Cross Keys and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Cross Keys is one of 1,134 rated food businesses in Chester. See every hygiene rating in Chester →
Cheshire West and Chester inspects and rates 2,973 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Cheshire West and Chester →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.cheshirewestandchester.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 →