Karen's Diner food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Medway
Karen's Diner holds a 2, which means some improvement is necessary. The inspector found problems at the restaurant that the business is required to fix.
The rating: 2 - Some improvement necessary
The rating dates from 15 April 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: 90 Watling Street, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 2YS
How it compares in Medway
A 2 is rare: only 9 of 1,964 rated places in Medway score this low, about one in 218. By contrast 80% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,577 | 80% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 279 | 14% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 74 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 9 | <1% | ← Karen's Diner | |
| 1 out of 5 | 24 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 171 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Improvement necessary
- 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 Karen's Diner the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled. 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 Karen's Diner, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Britannia Fsh Bar Takeaway/sandwich shop | 55 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 March 2024 |
| Anchorians Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 January 2025 |
| Brown's Mini Mart Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 30 July 2024 |
| Anatolia Kebab \& Fish Bar Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 20 May 2026 |
| Brasenose Club Other catering premises | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 7 June 2024 |
| 1st Friends Day Nursery Caring Premises | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 13 March 2025 |
| Avenue Tennis Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 18 July 2024 |
| Alternative Learning Trust T/a Will Adams Academy School/college/university | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 December 2024 |
Questions about Karen's Diner
What is Karen's Diner's food hygiene rating?
Karen's Diner has a food hygiene rating of 2 out of 5 (some improvement necessary), given by Medway Council on 15 April 2026.
Is Karen's Diner safe to eat at?
A 2 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The restaurant 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 Karen's Diner last inspected?
Karen's Diner was last inspected on 15 April 2026, 2 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Medway Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Karen's Diner?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", 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 Karen's Diner compare to other places in Medway?
80% of the 1,964 rated food businesses in Medway hold the top rating of 5, while Karen's Diner holds a 2. 9 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Medway Council inspects Karen's Diner 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 Karen's Diner 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 2 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 Medway, 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: Medway
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Karen's Diner is one of 509 rated food businesses in Gillingham. See every hygiene rating in Gillingham →
Medway inspects and rates 2,135 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Medway →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.medway.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 →