HCL Catering @ St Nicholas C of E V A Primary food hygiene rating
School/college/university · St Albans City
HCL Catering @ St Nicholas C of E V A Primary holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the school kitchen met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
The rating dates from 20 May 2025, 13 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: St Nicholas C of E V A Primary School St Nicholas, Church Green, Harpenden, AL5 2TP
How it compares in St Albans City
That puts HCL Catering @ St Nicholas C of E V A Primary among the 821 places in St Albans City holding top marks, 78% 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 | 821 | 78% | ← HCL Catering @ St Nicholas C of E V A Primary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 153 | 14% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 65 | 6% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ||
| 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 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 HCL Catering @ St Nicholas C of E V A Primary 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 HCL Catering @ St Nicholas C of E V A Primary, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marks & Spencer Simply Foods Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 71 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 October 2023 |
| COOK Retailers - other | 153 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 February 2025 |
| Bangkok Lounge Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 158 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 March 2025 |
| Old Cock Inn Pub/bar/nightclub | 158 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 July 2024 |
| Sainsbury's Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 249 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 July 2024 |
| Silver Palate Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 296 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 March 2025 |
| Gail's Bakery (Harpenden) Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 297 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 July 2024 |
| Silver Palate Delicatessen Retailers - other | 301 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 March 2025 |
Questions about HCL Catering @ St Nicholas C of E V A Primary
What is HCL Catering @ St Nicholas C of E V A Primary's food hygiene rating?
HCL Catering @ St Nicholas C of E V A Primary has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by St Albans City Council on 20 May 2025.
Is HCL Catering @ St Nicholas C of E V A Primary 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 school kitchen to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was HCL Catering @ St Nicholas C of E V A Primary last inspected?
HCL Catering @ St Nicholas C of E V A Primary was last inspected on 20 May 2025, 13 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 HCL Catering @ St Nicholas C of E V A Primary?
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 HCL Catering @ St Nicholas C of E V A Primary 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, and HCL Catering @ St Nicholas C of E V A Primary is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
St Albans City Council inspects HCL Catering @ St Nicholas C of E V A Primary 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 HCL Catering @ St Nicholas C of E V A Primary and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
HCL Catering @ St Nicholas C of E V A Primary 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 →