Hay Castle Cafe food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Powys
Hay Castle Cafe holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the restaurant met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
The rating dates from 4 November 2025, 8 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: Castle Street, Hay-On-Wye, Hereford, HR3 5DF
How it compares in Powys
That puts Hay Castle Cafe among the 1,722 places in Powys holding top marks, 74% 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 | 1,722 | 74% | ← Hay Castle Cafe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 434 | 19% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 90 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 43 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 25 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 3 | <1% |
A further 305 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 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 Hay Castle 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 Castle Cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Boar Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | at this address | 5 - Very good | 11 March 2025 |
| Castle Greengrocers Retailers - other | at this address | 5 - Very good | 8 October 2014 |
| Hay Cattle Market Cafe Mobile caterer | at this address | 4 - Good | 29 August 2013 |
| North Books Retailers - other | at this address | 4 - Good | 29 April 2024 |
| Red Indigo Indian Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 4 - Good | 11 November 2025 |
| C J Gibbons Ltd t/a Neil Powell Retailers - other | at this address | 3 - Generally satisfactory | 20 January 2026 |
| Spar (Blakemore Retail) Retailers - other | at this address | 2 - Some improvement necessary | 13 October 2025 |
| Baaad Flockers (Hay) Retailers - other | 31 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 January 2025 |
Questions about Hay Castle Cafe
What is Hay Castle Cafe's food hygiene rating?
Hay Castle Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Powys Council on 4 November 2025.
Is Hay Castle Cafe 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 restaurant to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was Hay Castle Cafe last inspected?
Hay Castle Cafe was last inspected on 4 November 2025, 8 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Powys Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Hay Castle 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 "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Hay Castle Cafe compare to other places in Powys?
74% of the 2,317 rated food businesses in Powys hold the top rating of 5, and Hay Castle Cafe is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Powys Council inspects Hay Castle 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 Castle 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 Castle Cafe is one of 80 rated food businesses in Hereford. See every hygiene rating in Hereford →
Powys inspects and rates 2,622 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Powys →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.powys.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 →