Shell Orbital food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · St Albans City
Shell Orbital holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the shop 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 2 March 2026, 4 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: Service Station, North Orbital Road, Colney Heath, AL4 0NG
How it compares in St Albans City
In St Albans City, 77% of rated places manage a 5, so Shell Orbital 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% | ← Shell Orbital | |
| 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 Shell Orbital 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 Shell Orbital, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cafe Pausa @ Dunelm Mill Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 March 2026 |
| Colney Heath News Retailers - other | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 October 2025 |
| Ab Salute Gym Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 1.0 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 March 2026 |
| Chartwells @ Oaklands College St Albans Campus School/college/university | 1.2 miles away | 5 - Very good | 29 April 2025 |
| Betty's 'Best Before' Bargains Retailers - other | 1.2 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 May 2025 |
| Co-op Food London Colney Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 1.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 11 June 2025 |
| Carmelos Kitchen Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 1.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 June 2025 |
| A1 Newsagent London Colney Retailers - other | 1.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 August 2025 |
Questions about Shell Orbital
What is Shell Orbital's food hygiene rating?
Shell Orbital has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by St Albans City Council on 2 March 2026.
Is Shell Orbital 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 shop to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was Shell Orbital last inspected?
Shell Orbital was last inspected on 2 March 2026, 4 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 Shell Orbital?
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 Shell Orbital 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 Shell Orbital holds a 4. 157 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
St Albans City Council inspects Shell Orbital 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 Shell Orbital 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 →