The Speckled Hen food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · St Albans City
The Speckled Hen 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 24 April 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: (formerly The Bunch Of Cherries PH), Hatfield Road, St Albans, AL4 0XG
How it compares in St Albans City
In St Albans City, 77% of rated places manage a 5, so The Speckled Hen sits behind roughly 820 nearby businesses. 14% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 820 | 77% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 153 | 14% | ← The Speckled Hen | |
| 3 out of 5 | 65 | 6% | ||
| 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 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 Speckled Hen 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 Speckled Hen, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Betty's 'Best Before' Bargains Retailers - other | 114 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 May 2025 |
| Chartwells catering @ Beaumont School, School/college/university | 374 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 July 2025 |
| Central Drive Express Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 27 January 2026 |
| Bean Central Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 3 September 2025 |
| Chartwells @ Oaklands College St Albans Campus School/college/university | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 29 April 2025 |
| Ab Salute Gym Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 March 2026 |
| Beau Sejour Care Services Caring Premises | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 August 2025 |
| Big Juicy Burgers Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 May 2025 |
Questions about The Speckled Hen
What is The Speckled Hen's food hygiene rating?
The Speckled Hen has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by St Albans City Council on 24 April 2026.
Is The Speckled Hen 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 Speckled Hen last inspected?
The Speckled Hen was last inspected on 24 April 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 Speckled Hen?
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 Speckled Hen 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 Speckled Hen holds a 4. 153 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
St Albans City Council inspects The Speckled Hen 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 Speckled Hen 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 1,157 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 →