The Shaken Cow food hygiene rating
Takeaway/sandwich shop · St Albans City
The Shaken Cow holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The takeaway met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 12 March 2025, 16 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: 2A Vaughan Road, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 4ED
How it compares in St Albans City
In St Albans City, 77% of rated places manage a 5, so The Shaken Cow sits behind roughly 973 nearby businesses. 6% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 820 | 77% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 153 | 14% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 65 | 6% | ← The Shaken Cow | |
| 2 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 98 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Generally satisfactory
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety Generally satisfactory
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 Shaken Cow 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 Shaken Cow, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Palate Delicatessen Retailers - other | 46 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 March 2025 |
| Costa Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 47 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 August 2024 |
| Gail's Bakery (Harpenden) Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 47 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 July 2024 |
| Silver Palate Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 53 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 March 2025 |
| Domino's Pizza Takeaway/sandwich shop | 53 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 February 2026 |
| Graffiti Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 53 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 September 2022 |
| R & M Family Butchers Retailers - other | 53 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 July 2024 |
| Per Tutti Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 58 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 June 2025 |
Questions about The Shaken Cow
What is The Shaken Cow's food hygiene rating?
The Shaken Cow has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by St Albans City Council on 12 March 2025.
Is The Shaken Cow safe to eat at?
A 3 means the takeaway met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was The Shaken Cow last inspected?
The Shaken Cow was last inspected on 12 March 2025, 16 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 Shaken Cow?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Shaken Cow compare to other places in St Albans City?
77% of the 1,059 rated food businesses in St Albans City hold the top rating of 5, while The Shaken Cow holds a 3. 65 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
St Albans City Council inspects The Shaken Cow 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 Shaken Cow and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Shaken Cow 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 →