Esquires Coffee Stevenage Ltd food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Stevenage
Esquires Coffee Stevenage Ltd 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
This is a fresh result: Esquires Coffee Stevenage Ltd was inspected on 5 June 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.
Address: 27 Westgate, Town Centre, Stevenage, SG1 1QR
How this rating has changed
Esquires Coffee Stevenage Ltd has gone backwards: it held a 3 before its inspection on 5 June 2026, and now holds a 1. A rating of 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix.
| Inspected | Rating | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 5 June 2026 | 3 1 | Worse |
The FSA publishes only a business's current rating. This history is our own record of what it has scored since we began watching.
How it compares in Stevenage
A 1 is rare: only 5 of 527 rated places in Stevenage score this low, about one in 105. By contrast 89% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 467 | 89% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 42 | 8% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 10 | 2% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 1 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 5 | 1% | ← Esquires Coffee Stevenage Ltd | |
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 166 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 Generally satisfactory
- 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 Esquires Coffee Stevenage Ltd the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled 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 Esquires Coffee Stevenage Ltd, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Candy Zone Retailers - other | at this address | 5 - Very good | 6 November 2025 |
| Chateau Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 73 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 September 2025 |
| Eggfree Cake Box Other catering premises | 94 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 November 2021 |
| Fireaway Pizza Stevenage Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 106 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 June 2026 |
| Boots UK Ltd Retailers - other | 147 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 March 2006 |
| Costa Ltd Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 147 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 February 2021 |
| Cece Cha Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 158 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 June 2026 |
| Geek Retreat Stevenage Other catering premises | 171 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 November 2024 |
Questions about Esquires Coffee Stevenage Ltd
What is Esquires Coffee Stevenage Ltd's food hygiene rating?
Esquires Coffee Stevenage Ltd has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Stevenage Council on 5 June 2026.
Is Esquires Coffee Stevenage Ltd 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 Esquires Coffee Stevenage Ltd last inspected?
Esquires Coffee Stevenage Ltd was last inspected on 5 June 2026, a month ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Stevenage Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Esquires Coffee Stevenage Ltd?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", 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 Esquires Coffee Stevenage Ltd compare to other places in Stevenage?
89% of the 527 rated food businesses in Stevenage hold the top rating of 5, while Esquires Coffee Stevenage Ltd holds a 1. 5 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Stevenage Council inspects Esquires Coffee Stevenage Ltd 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 Esquires Coffee Stevenage Ltd 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 Stevenage, 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: Stevenage
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Esquires Coffee Stevenage Ltd is one of 417 rated food businesses in Herts. See every hygiene rating in Herts →
Stevenage inspects and rates 693 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Stevenage →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.stevenage.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 →