Burdens Butchers food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Maidstone
Burdens Butchers 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 14 May 2025, 13 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: Unit 7, 48A Upper Fant Road, Maidstone, ME16 8DN
How it compares in Maidstone
A 1 is rare: only 12 of 1,387 rated places in Maidstone score this low, about one in 116. By contrast 82% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,136 | 82% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 165 | 12% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 61 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 11 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 12 | 1% | ← Burdens Butchers | |
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 65 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 Burdens Butchers 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 Burdens Butchers, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avon Manor House Caring Premises | 61 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 August 2024 |
| Caterlink At St Michaels C Of E Infants School School/college/university | 251 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 January 2013 |
| Andys Food Factory Mobile caterer | 427 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 October 2024 |
| Bettys Newsagents Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 July 2016 |
| Busy Lizzy Nursery Caring Premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 19 December 2013 |
| Bower Croft Residential Home Caring Premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 May 2026 |
| Blue Sky Day Nursery Caring Premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 19 January 2026 |
| Broadway Express Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 May 2014 |
Questions about Burdens Butchers
What is Burdens Butchers's food hygiene rating?
Burdens Butchers has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Maidstone Council on 14 May 2025.
Is Burdens Butchers 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 Burdens Butchers last inspected?
Burdens Butchers was last inspected on 14 May 2025, 13 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Maidstone Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Burdens Butchers?
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 Burdens Butchers compare to other places in Maidstone?
82% of the 1,387 rated food businesses in Maidstone hold the top rating of 5, while Burdens Butchers holds a 1. 12 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Maidstone Council inspects Burdens Butchers 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 Burdens Butchers 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 Maidstone, 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: Maidstone
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Maidstone inspects and rates 1,452 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Maidstone →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.maidstone.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 →