Khushma cottage food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · North Hertfordshire
Khushma cottage holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The restaurant 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 2025, 14 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: 32A Walsworth Road, Hitchin, SG4 9ST
How it compares in North Hertfordshire
In North Hertfordshire, 78% of rated places manage a 5, so Khushma cottage sits behind roughly 944 nearby businesses. 5% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 789 | 78% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 155 | 15% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 48 | 5% | ← Khushma cottage | |
| 2 out of 5 | 13 | 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 Khushma cottage 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 Khushma cottage, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| AnX Bar Pub/bar/nightclub | 125 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 August 2025 |
| Club 85 Pub/bar/nightclub | 248 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 September 2011 |
| Benslow Music Trust Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 340 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 April 2025 |
| Asda Express PFS Nightingale Retailers - other | 384 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 March 2026 |
| B&M Retail Ltd Retailers - other | 395 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 November 2018 |
| Beer Shop Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 31 January 2017 |
| Feed up warm up Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 December 2021 |
| Bancroft Kiosk Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 24 May 2023 |
Questions about Khushma cottage
What is Khushma cottage's food hygiene rating?
Khushma cottage has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by North Hertfordshire Council on 29 April 2025.
Is Khushma cottage safe to eat at?
A 3 means the restaurant 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 Khushma cottage last inspected?
Khushma cottage was last inspected on 29 April 2025, 14 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by North Hertfordshire Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Khushma cottage?
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 Khushma cottage compare to other places in North Hertfordshire?
78% of the 1,015 rated food businesses in North Hertfordshire hold the top rating of 5, while Khushma cottage holds a 3. 48 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
North Hertfordshire Council inspects Khushma cottage 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 Khushma cottage and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Khushma cottage is one of 307 rated food businesses in Hitchin. See every hygiene rating in Hitchin →
North Hertfordshire inspects and rates 1,120 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in North Hertfordshire →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.north-herts.gov.uk
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 →