The Mermaid food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · St Albans City
The Mermaid holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the pub 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 21 March 2026, 3 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: The Mermaid Ph, 98 Hatfield Road, St Albans, AL1 3RL
How it compares in St Albans City
In St Albans City, 77% of rated places manage a 5, so The Mermaid sits behind roughly 818 nearby businesses. 15% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 818 | 77% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 157 | 15% | ← The Mermaid | |
| 3 out of 5 | 63 | 6% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 105 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 Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety 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 The Mermaid 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 The Mermaid, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Courtyard Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 47 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 October 2025 |
| Alban City School Wraparound Caring Premises | 144 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 March 2025 |
| Cha & Nasta (The Hideout Kafe) Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 252 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 April 2026 |
| Blacksmith Arms St Albans Pub/bar/nightclub | 284 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 June 2024 |
| Communities Thirst Takeaway/sandwich shop | 286 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 December 2024 |
| Age Concern Caring Premises | 323 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 February 2026 |
| Cafe Roma Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 356 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 April 2026 |
| Brock House Nursery School Caring Premises | 363 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 April 2025 |
Questions about The Mermaid
What is The Mermaid's food hygiene rating?
The Mermaid has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by St Albans City Council on 21 March 2026.
Is The Mermaid 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 pub to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Mermaid last inspected?
The Mermaid was last inspected on 21 March 2026, 3 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 The Mermaid?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Mermaid compare to other places in St Albans City?
77% of the 1,058 rated food businesses in St Albans City hold the top rating of 5, while The Mermaid holds a 4. 157 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
St Albans City Council inspects The Mermaid 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 The Mermaid and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
St Albans City inspects and rates 1,163 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 →