HiTea food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · St Albans City
HiTea 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 18 February 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: 41A Catherine Street, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 5BN
How it compares in St Albans City
In St Albans City, 77% of rated places manage a 5, so HiTea 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% | ← HiTea | |
| 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 Good
- 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 HiTea 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 HiTea, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cafe on the Corner Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 61 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 April 2026 |
| Bar Meze Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 122 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 April 2026 |
| Cafe Roma Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 155 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 April 2026 |
| Cafe Mo?ai Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 172 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 October 2025 |
| Busy Bees @ Bernard Street Caring Premises | 219 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 March 2026 |
| Blacksmith Arms St Albans Pub/bar/nightclub | 221 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 June 2024 |
| Cha & Nasta (The Hideout Kafe) Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 258 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 April 2026 |
| Costa Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 294 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 March 2026 |
Questions about HiTea
What is HiTea's food hygiene rating?
HiTea has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by St Albans City Council on 18 February 2026.
Is HiTea 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 HiTea last inspected?
HiTea was last inspected on 18 February 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 HiTea?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does HiTea 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 HiTea holds a 4. 157 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
St Albans City Council inspects HiTea 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 HiTea 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 →