The Duchess food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Dover
The Duchess holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the pub met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
The rating dates from 25 September 2024, 21 months ago. That is getting on for the longest gap councils usually leave, so the score may not reflect how the business is run today.
Address: 1 - 2 Bench Street, Dover, CT16 1JH
How it compares in Dover
That puts The Duchess among the 892 places in Dover holding top marks, 82% 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.
| 5 out of 5 | 892 | 82% | ← The Duchess | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 114 | 10% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 45 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 18 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 15 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 112 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 Good
- How well they manage food safety Very good
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 The Duchess 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 The Duchess, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover Kebab Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 37 yards away | 5 - Very good | 13 March 2024 |
| Bunch & Lunch Ltd Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 39 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 October 2025 |
| Cinnamon Island Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 128 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 March 2024 |
| Chaplins Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 146 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 July 2025 |
| Bubble Tea Base Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 165 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 April 2025 |
| Hello Dim Sum Takeaway/sandwich shop | 165 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 April 2025 |
| Burger King Takeaway/sandwich shop | 192 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 July 2025 |
| Costa Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 192 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 May 2026 |
Questions about The Duchess
What is The Duchess's food hygiene rating?
The Duchess has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Dover Council on 25 September 2024.
Is The Duchess 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 pub to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Duchess last inspected?
The Duchess was last inspected on 25 September 2024, 21 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Dover Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Duchess?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Duchess compare to other places in Dover?
82% of the 1,086 rated food businesses in Dover hold the top rating of 5, and The Duchess is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Dover Council inspects The Duchess 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 The Duchess 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
Dover inspects and rates 1,198 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Dover →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.dover.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 →