Station Cafe food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Swale
Station Cafe 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 13 May 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: 21 Station Street, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 3DU
How it compares in Swale
A 2 is rare: only 6 of 1,186 rated places in Swale score this low, about one in 198. 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 | 134 | 11% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 41 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 6 | 1% | ← Station Cafe | |
| 1 out of 5 | 13 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 3 | <1% |
A further 40 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Generally satisfactory
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Improvement necessary
- 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 Station Cafe the inspector recorded concerns over the condition of the premises. 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 Station Cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bunters Pub/bar/nightclub | at this address | 5 - Very good | 20 April 2026 |
| Galata Meze Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 23 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 May 2025 |
| Boyce's Bakery Retailers - other | 101 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 April 2025 |
| Fountain Of Ale Pub/bar/nightclub | 158 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 May 2023 |
| Holland And Barrett Retailers - other | 178 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 October 2021 |
| Greggs Takeaway/sandwich shop | 178 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 January 2026 |
| Black Pepper Café Bistro Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 179 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 May 2026 |
| Costa Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 179 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 April 2025 |
Questions about Station Cafe
What is Station Cafe's food hygiene rating?
Station Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 2 out of 5 (some improvement necessary), given by Swale Council on 13 May 2026.
Is Station Cafe 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 Station Cafe last inspected?
Station Cafe was last inspected on 13 May 2026, 2 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 Station Cafe?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "improvement necessary", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Station Cafe compare to other places in Swale?
83% of the 1,186 rated food businesses in Swale hold the top rating of 5, while Station Cafe holds a 2. 6 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Swale Council inspects Station Cafe 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 Station Cafe 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 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
Station Cafe 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 →