The Willow Trees food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · St Albans City
The Willow Trees holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the restaurant 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 9 May 2026, 2 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 Willow Trees Cafe Croft Cottage, Cherry Tree Lane, Wheathampstead, AL4 8HP
How it compares in St Albans City
In St Albans City, 77% of rated places manage a 5, so The Willow Trees 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 Willow Trees | |
| 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 Generally satisfactory
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Good
- 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 Willow Trees 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 Willow Trees, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aldwickbury School School/college/university | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 June 2024 |
| Brewhouse Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 May 2025 |
| Artisans Kindergarten Caring Premises | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 December 2025 |
| Aldwickbury Park Golf Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 June 2024 |
| Marley's Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 November 2024 |
| Loafing Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 August 2025 |
| E S Hulse & Son Ltd Distributors/Transporters | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 29 August 2025 |
| Miller & Carter - Wheathampstead Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 24 January 2026 |
Questions about The Willow Trees
What is The Willow Trees's food hygiene rating?
The Willow Trees has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by St Albans City Council on 9 May 2026.
Is The Willow Trees 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 restaurant to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Willow Trees last inspected?
The Willow Trees was last inspected on 9 May 2026, 2 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 Willow Trees?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Willow Trees 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 Willow Trees holds a 4. 157 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
St Albans City Council inspects The Willow Trees 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 Willow Trees 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 Willow Trees is one of 33 rated food businesses in Wheathampstead. See every hygiene rating in Wheathampstead →
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 →