Black Sheep Coffee food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · St Albans City
Black Sheep Coffee 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 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: 51 St Peters Street, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 3DY
How it compares in St Albans City
In St Albans City, 78% of rated places manage a 5, so Black Sheep Coffee sits behind roughly 821 nearby businesses. 14% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 821 | 78% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 153 | 14% | ← Black Sheep Coffee | |
| 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 Generally satisfactory
- 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 Black Sheep Coffee 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 Black Sheep Coffee, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cafe Mo?ai Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 63 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 October 2025 |
| Costa Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 82 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 March 2026 |
| Communities Thirst Takeaway/sandwich shop | 124 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 December 2024 |
| Everyone Active @ The Alban Arena Pub/bar/nightclub | 139 yards away | 5 - Very good | 31 October 2025 |
| Bar Meze Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 145 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 April 2026 |
| Cafe Roma Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 150 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 April 2026 |
| Boots UK Ltd Retailers - other | 155 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 December 2023 |
| Cafe W Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 173 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 June 2024 |
Questions about Black Sheep Coffee
What is Black Sheep Coffee's food hygiene rating?
Black Sheep Coffee has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by St Albans City Council on 2 March 2026.
Is Black Sheep Coffee 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 Black Sheep Coffee last inspected?
Black Sheep Coffee 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 Black Sheep Coffee?
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 "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Black Sheep Coffee 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, while Black Sheep Coffee holds a 4. 153 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
St Albans City Council inspects Black Sheep Coffee 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 Black Sheep Coffee 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 →