Should you open a Turkish restaurant in Ashford?
Ashford scores 34 out of 100 on our demand index — a tough market right now. The council currently has 6 Turkish restaurants against an estimated 440 monthly searches for Turkish food, which works out to roughly 14,750 residents for every Turkish restaurant already trading here. The single biggest factor behind that number is residents per restaurant, which ranks higher here than in most other councils in England and Wales. That combination of supply, search interest and population is what the verdict above is based on: Ashford looks a tough market right now for someone weighing up whether to open a Turkish restaurant in the area, relative to every other council we track.
Read next: How to Open a Turkish Restaurant in the UK in 2026: Step-by-Step Guide
How this score breaks down
How Ashford compares in South East
Ashford ranks 52 of 64 councils in South East by demand score, and 35 of 64 by number of Turkish restaurants. The table below shows its four nearest neighbours by score.
| Council | Demand score | Verdict | Turkish restaurants | Monthly searches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashford | 34 | Saturated | 6 | 440 |
| Adur | 37 | Saturated | 2 | 469 |
| Tonbridge and Malling | 36 | Saturated | 3 | 160 |
| Eastleigh | 36 | Saturated | 3 | 320 |
| Tandridge | 35 | Saturated | 7 | 725 |
Where the gap is
- Turkish restaurants already trading in Ashford average a 4.2-star Google rating, below the 4.3-star average across England and Wales — there looks to be room for a higher-quality newcomer here.
- Searches per restaurant here run at 49 a month, well below the 108-a-month median across councils with reliable data — a sign the market may already be saturated relative to demand.
The hygiene picture
Of the 7 Turkish food businesses we hold hygiene data for in Ashford, 71% are rated 5 (the top FSA score) and 0% are rated 2 or below, with 0 still awaiting inspection — the local bar for hygiene is already high, so a new entrant would need to match it from day one.
Where they cluster: Most Turkish restaurants in Ashford sit in TN23, TN24 and TN30 — 4 in TN23, 1 in TN24, 1 in TN30.
Restaurants already here
| # | Name | Postcode | Hygiene rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Ali's Kebab | TN24 8PR | 5 |
| 02 | Anatolia Cafe | TN23 5ER | 5 |
| 03 | Aspendos Ashford | TN23 1DQ | 5 |
| 04 | Istanbul Grill | TN23 5EW | 5 |
| 05 | Ruya Kitchen | TN30 6BT | 5 |
| 06 | Ozgur Turkish Cuisine | — | 4 |
| 07 | Master Kebab and Pizza | TN23 1QN | 3 |
What it would cost here
Fitting out a 100 m² Turkish restaurant in Ashford with a mid-range fit-out, using our small-town cost assumptions, comes to roughly £174,402 – £348,546 up front. The two largest lines are fit-out & build (£90,000 – £150,000) and kitchen equipment (£20,847 – £76,060).
Open the full cost calculator for Ashford →
Planning estimate only — see the cost calculator for the full breakdown and assumptions.
Frequently asked questions
- How many Turkish restaurants are in Ashford?
- Ashford currently has 6 Turkish restaurants.
- Is there demand for a Turkish restaurant in Ashford?
- Yes — an estimated 440 monthly searches relate to Turkish food in Ashford, giving it a demand score of 34/100.
- What would it cost to open a Turkish restaurant in Ashford?
- A 100 m² restaurant with a mid-range fit-out costs roughly £174,402 – £348,546 to open in Ashford, based on our cost model.
- How does Ashford compare to the rest of South East?
- Ashford scores 34/100 and ranks 52 of 64 in South East. The region's top-scoring council is Oxford, at 89/100.
Thinking about opening here?
Tell us where, and we'll send you the local numbers — population, competition, and rent benchmarks.