The Queen's Head food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · St Albans City
The Queen's Head holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The pub met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 29 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: 59 Southdown Road, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 1PQ
How it compares in St Albans City
In St Albans City, 77% of rated places manage a 5, so The Queen's Head sits behind roughly 975 nearby businesses. 6% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 818 | 77% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 157 | 15% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 63 | 6% | ← The Queen's Head | |
| 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 Generally satisfactory
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- 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 The Queen's Head 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 Queen's Head, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| CareTech - Meadow Acres Caring Premises | 103 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 July 2025 |
| Fitt41 Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 13 November 2024 |
| Bentozo Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 18 April 2026 |
| Co-op Food Harpenden Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 20 February 2025 |
| Cafe Aroma Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 18 December 2024 |
| Lazy Bear Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 June 2024 |
| Harpenden Bowling Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 October 2025 |
| Harpenden Springs Care Home Caring Premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 18 March 2026 |
Questions about The Queen's Head
What is The Queen's Head's food hygiene rating?
The Queen's Head has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by St Albans City Council on 29 April 2026.
Is The Queen's Head safe to eat at?
A 3 means the pub met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was The Queen's Head last inspected?
The Queen's Head was last inspected on 29 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 Queen's Head?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Queen's Head 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 The Queen's Head holds a 3. 63 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
St Albans City Council inspects The Queen's Head 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 Queen's Head and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Queen's Head is one of 193 rated food businesses in Harpenden. See every hygiene rating in Harpenden →
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 →