Birchwood House Rest Home food hygiene rating
Caring Premises · Tunbridge Wells
Birchwood House Rest Home holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the care premises and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 7 July 2025, 12 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: Birchwood House, Stockland Green Road, Speldhurst, TN3 0TU
How it compares in Tunbridge Wells
A 1 is rare: only 9 of 1,038 rated places in Tunbridge Wells score this low, about one in 115. By contrast 83% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 860 | 83% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 114 | 11% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 46 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 9 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 9 | 1% | ← Birchwood House Rest Home | |
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 45 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 Major improvement necessary
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 Birchwood House Rest Home the inspector recorded concerns over confidence in management. Because the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, that is what holds the score down.
Food hygiene ratings nearby
The closest food businesses to Birchwood House Rest Home, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| AliKats Kids Club School/college/university | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 9 January 2024 |
| Broomhill Bank School School/college/university | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 February 2026 |
| Dragonfly Farm Shop & Cafe Retailers - other | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 July 2025 |
Questions about Birchwood House Rest Home
What is Birchwood House Rest Home's food hygiene rating?
Birchwood House Rest Home has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Tunbridge Wells Council on 7 July 2025.
Is Birchwood House Rest Home safe to eat at?
A 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The care premises is not shut down, a rating is not a closure order, but standards were found to be below what the law expects at the time of inspection.
When was Birchwood House Rest Home last inspected?
Birchwood House Rest Home was last inspected on 7 July 2025, 12 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Tunbridge Wells Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Birchwood House Rest Home?
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 "major improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Birchwood House Rest Home compare to other places in Tunbridge Wells?
83% of the 1,038 rated food businesses in Tunbridge Wells hold the top rating of 5, while Birchwood House Rest Home holds a 1. 9 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Tunbridge Wells Council inspects Birchwood House Rest Home 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 Birchwood House Rest Home 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 →
Is this your business?
A rating of 1 is public, and most customers look. Only 18% of people say they would order from a business rated 2 or below, against 94% from one rated 4. Delivery platforms may decline to list you.
We cannot change this rating, and nor can you. It was set by an environmental health officer at Tunbridge Wells, and it stands until they inspect again. What you can do:
- Fix what the inspector found, then ask the council for a re-inspection. Most charge between £120 and £316, and will not re-visit within three months of the original inspection.
- If you believe the rating is simply wrong, you have 21 days from being notified to appeal to the council. That is 21 calendar days, not working days.
- You may submit a right to reply at any time. It is published alongside the rating, here, and on the FSA's own site.
What a low rating means → · How re-inspections and appeals work →
Your council: Tunbridge Wells
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Tunbridge Wells inspects and rates 1,083 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Tunbridge Wells →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.tunbridgewells.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 →