A2 Food Store food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Swale
A2 Food Store holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the shop and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 4 February 2026, 5 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: 25 Canterbury Road, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 4SG
How it compares in Swale
A 1 is rare: only 13 of 1,185 rated places in Swale score this low, about one in 91. 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 | 989 | 83% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 133 | 11% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 41 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 6 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 13 | 1% | ← A2 Food Store | |
| 0 out of 5 | 3 | <1% |
A further 41 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 Improvement necessary
- 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 A2 Food Store the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled, the condition of the premises and 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 A2 Food Store, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| A2 Off Licence Retailers - other | at this address | 5 - Very good | 13 June 2022 |
| Entree Food Academy Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 298 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 November 2024 |
| Chris' Convenience Store Retailers - other | 325 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 April 2023 |
| Aldi Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 333 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 November 2021 |
| Busy Bees Nursery Caring Premises | 387 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 December 2025 |
| BG's Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 April 2025 |
| East Street News Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 7 April 2021 |
| Empress Of India Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 September 2025 |
Questions about A2 Food Store
What is A2 Food Store's food hygiene rating?
A2 Food Store has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Swale Council on 4 February 2026.
Is A2 Food Store safe to eat at?
A 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The shop 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 A2 Food Store last inspected?
A2 Food Store was last inspected on 4 February 2026, 5 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Swale Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at A2 Food Store?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "improvement necessary", 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 A2 Food Store compare to other places in Swale?
83% of the 1,185 rated food businesses in Swale hold the top rating of 5, while A2 Food Store holds a 1. 13 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Swale Council inspects A2 Food Store 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 A2 Food Store 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 Swale, 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: Swale
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
A2 Food Store is one of 298 rated food businesses in Sittingbourne. See every hygiene rating in Sittingbourne →
Swale inspects and rates 1,226 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Swale →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.swale.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 →