Spud Kingz @ Housing 21 food hygiene rating
Caring Premises · St Albans City
Spud Kingz @ Housing 21 holds a 0, the lowest food hygiene rating possible, meaning urgent improvement is necessary. The inspector found serious problems at the care premises requiring immediate action.
The rating: 0 - Urgent improvement necessary
The rating dates from 9 June 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.
Only 2% of rated food businesses in St Albans City score 0 to 2 like this, so a low rating here is the exception, not the norm. See all St Albans City ratings →
Address: Restaurant Lea Springs, 14 Lower Luton Road, Harpenden, AL5 5FA
How this rating has changed
Spud Kingz @ Housing 21 has gone backwards: it held a 5 before its inspection on 9 June 2026, and now holds a 0. A rating of 0 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix.
| Inspected | Rating | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 9 June 2026 | 5 0 | Worse |
The FSA publishes only a business's current rating. This history is our own record of what it has scored since we began watching.
How it compares in St Albans City
A 0 is rare: only 1 of 1,064 rated places in St Albans City score this low, about one in 1,064. By contrast 77% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 820 | 77% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 156 | 15% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 69 | 6% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 8 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% | ← Spud Kingz @ Housing 21 |
A further 110 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Major improvement necessary
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Improvement necessary
- How well they manage food safety Major improvement necessary
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 Spud Kingz @ Housing 21 the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled, the condition of the premises and confidence in management. Because the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, that is what holds the score down.
Food hygiene ratings nearby
The closest food businesses to Spud Kingz @ Housing 21, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| E S Hulse & Son Ltd Distributors/Transporters | 123 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 August 2025 |
| Gibraltar Castle Pub/bar/nightclub | 286 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 April 2025 |
| The Cherry Tree @ The Malta Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 286 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 March 2026 |
| Balti Village Takeaway/sandwich shop | 376 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 December 2025 |
| Amble Inn Pub/bar/nightclub | 396 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 March 2025 |
| Skylarks Day Care Caring Premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 30 August 2024 |
| Scarlett's Kitchen Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 June 2026 |
| Batford Day Care Limited Caring Premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 February 2026 |
Questions about Spud Kingz @ Housing 21
What is Spud Kingz @ Housing 21's food hygiene rating?
Spud Kingz @ Housing 21 has a food hygiene rating of 0 out of 5 (urgent improvement necessary), given by St Albans City Council on 9 June 2026.
Is Spud Kingz @ Housing 21 safe to eat at?
A 0 means urgent improvement is necessary: the inspector found serious problems. The care premises may still be trading, because a rating is not a closure order, but this is the lowest score the scheme gives.
When was Spud Kingz @ Housing 21 last inspected?
Spud Kingz @ Housing 21 was last inspected on 9 June 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 Spud Kingz @ Housing 21?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "major improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "improvement necessary", and confidence in the management of food safety "major improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Spud Kingz @ Housing 21 compare to other places in St Albans City?
77% of the 1,064 rated food businesses in St Albans City hold the top rating of 5, while Spud Kingz @ Housing 21 holds a 0. 1 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
St Albans City Council inspects Spud Kingz @ Housing 21 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 Spud Kingz @ Housing 21 and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
Free, for three businesses, forever. No password, we send you a link. How rating alerts work →
Is this your business?
A rating of 0 is public, and most customers look. Only 18% of people say they would order from a business rated 2 or below, against 94% from one rated 4. Delivery platforms may decline to list you.
We cannot change this rating, and nor can you. It was set by an environmental health officer at St Albans City, and it stands until they inspect again. What you can do:
- Fix what the inspector found, then ask the council for a re-inspection. Most charge between £120 and £316, and will not re-visit within three months of the original inspection.
- If you believe the rating is simply wrong, you have 21 days from being notified to appeal to the council. That is 21 calendar days, not working days.
- You may submit a right to reply at any time. It is published alongside the rating, here, and on the FSA's own site.
What a low rating means → · How re-inspections and appeals work →
Your council: St Albans City
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Spud Kingz @ Housing 21 is one of 190 rated food businesses in Harpenden. See every hygiene rating in Harpenden →
St Albans City inspects and rates 1,174 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 →