5

Village Stores food hygiene rating

Retailers - other · Medway

Village Stores holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the shop met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 24 January 2025, 17 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: Premier Store & Post Office, 21 Christmas Lane, High Halstow, ME3 8SN

How it compares in Medway

That puts Village Stores among the 1,577 places in Medway holding top marks, 80% 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.

Every rated food business in Medway
5 out of 5 1,577 80% ← Village Stores
4 out of 5 279 14%
3 out of 5 74 4%
2 out of 5 9 <1%
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

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 Village Stores 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 Village Stores, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
The Red Dog Pub/bar/nightclub 278 yards away 5 - Very good 1 June 2026
Heron Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 329 yards away 5 - Very good 1 November 2024
The Heron Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 329 yards away 5 - Very good 8 August 2023
Impact Food Group School/college/university 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 2 July 2026
Deangate Ridge Bowls Club Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 1.0 miles away 5 - Very good 10 April 2026

Questions about Village Stores

What is Village Stores's food hygiene rating?

Village Stores has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Medway Council on 24 January 2025.

Is Village Stores 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 shop to be very good, the top end of the scale.

When was Village Stores last inspected?

Village Stores was last inspected on 24 January 2025, 17 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 Village Stores?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "very good", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.

How does Village Stores compare to other places in Medway?

80% of the 1,964 rated food businesses in Medway hold the top rating of 5, and Village Stores is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Medway Council inspects Village Stores 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 Village Stores 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

Village Stores is one of 531 rated food businesses in Rochester. See every hygiene rating in Rochester

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 →