Harris Hoole food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · St Albans City
Harris Hoole holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the restaurant and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 13 January 2026, 6 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: 18 High Street, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2TA
How it compares in St Albans City
A 1 is rare: only 10 of 1,059 rated places in St Albans City score this low, about one in 106. By contrast 78% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 821 | 78% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 153 | 14% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 65 | 6% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ← Harris Hoole | |
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 98 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Improvement necessary
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Improvement necessary
- 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 Harris Hoole the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled, the condition of the premises and 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 Harris Hoole, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gail's Bakery (Harpenden) Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 91 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 July 2024 |
| Sainsbury's Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 95 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 July 2024 |
| Silver Palate Delicatessen Retailers - other | 102 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 March 2025 |
| Silver Palate Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 103 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 March 2025 |
| PizzaExpress/Mac & Wings Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 104 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 March 2026 |
| Costa Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 119 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 August 2024 |
| Giggling Squid Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 126 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 February 2026 |
| Per Tutti Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 135 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 June 2025 |
Questions about Harris Hoole
What is Harris Hoole's food hygiene rating?
Harris Hoole has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by St Albans City Council on 13 January 2026.
Is Harris Hoole safe to eat at?
A 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The restaurant 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 Harris Hoole last inspected?
Harris Hoole was last inspected on 13 January 2026, 6 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by St Albans City Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Harris Hoole?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "improvement necessary", 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 Harris Hoole compare to other places in St Albans City?
78% of the 1,059 rated food businesses in St Albans City hold the top rating of 5, while Harris Hoole holds a 1. 10 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
St Albans City Council inspects Harris Hoole 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 Harris Hoole 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 St Albans City, 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: St Albans City
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Harris Hoole is one of 191 rated food businesses in Harpenden. See every hygiene rating in Harpenden →
St Albans City inspects and rates 1,157 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in St Albans City →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.stalbans.gov.uk/business/Health-and-safety/food-safety/foodHygieneRating.aspx
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 →