Hay's Cafe food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Wealden
Hay's Cafe holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the restaurant are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 11 March 2025, 16 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: 28 Vicarage Field, Hailsham, BN27 1BG
How it compares in Wealden
In Wealden, 78% of rated places manage a 5, so Hay's Cafe sits behind roughly 1,015 nearby businesses. 16% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,015 | 78% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 215 | 16% | ← Hay's Cafe | |
| 3 out of 5 | 72 | 6% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 2 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 4 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 56 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Good
- 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 Hay's Cafe 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 Hay's Cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maybugs Retailers - other | 8 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 August 2025 |
| Hailsham Coffee Ltd Retailers - other | 18 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 October 2024 |
| TG Jones High Street Limited Retailers - other | 33 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 October 2025 |
| Oxfam Retailers - other | 34 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 February 2025 |
| Subway Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 34 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 October 2025 |
| Costa Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 51 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 January 2026 |
| Charles Hunt Centre Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 55 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 August 2025 |
| Cost Cutters Retailers - other | 70 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 November 2024 |
Questions about Hay's Cafe
What is Hay's Cafe's food hygiene rating?
Hay's Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Wealden Council on 11 March 2025.
Is Hay's Cafe safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this restaurant to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was Hay's Cafe last inspected?
Hay's Cafe was last inspected on 11 March 2025, 16 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Wealden Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Hay's Cafe?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Hay's Cafe compare to other places in Wealden?
78% of the 1,308 rated food businesses in Wealden hold the top rating of 5, while Hay's Cafe holds a 4. 215 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Wealden Council inspects Hay's 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 Hay's Cafe and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Hay's Cafe is one of 117 rated food businesses in Hailsham. See every hygiene rating in Hailsham →
Wealden inspects and rates 1,364 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Wealden →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.wealden.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 →