The Golden Elephant food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · St Albans City
The Golden Elephant 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 14 April 2026, 3 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: 43 High Street, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, AL4 8BD
How it compares in St Albans City
In St Albans City, 77% of rated places manage a 5, so The Golden Elephant sits behind roughly 820 nearby businesses. 14% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 820 | 77% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 153 | 14% | ← The Golden Elephant | |
| 3 out of 5 | 65 | 6% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
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 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 The Golden Elephant 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 Golden Elephant, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dildar II Tandoori Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 42 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 April 2026 |
| Miller & Carter - Wheathampstead Pub/bar/nightclub | 130 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 January 2026 |
| Loafing Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 135 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 August 2025 |
| Marley's Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 247 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 November 2024 |
| Brewhouse Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 412 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 May 2025 |
| Culinera @ St Albans High School School/college/university | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 13 April 2026 |
| L'Olivo Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 August 2024 |
Questions about The Golden Elephant
What is The Golden Elephant's food hygiene rating?
The Golden Elephant has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by St Albans City Council on 14 April 2026.
Is The Golden Elephant 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 The Golden Elephant last inspected?
The Golden Elephant was last inspected on 14 April 2026, 3 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 Golden Elephant?
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 The Golden Elephant compare to other places in St Albans City?
77% of the 1,059 rated food businesses in St Albans City hold the top rating of 5, while The Golden Elephant holds a 4. 153 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
St Albans City Council inspects The Golden Elephant 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 Golden Elephant 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 Golden Elephant is one of 32 rated food businesses in Wheathampstead. See every hygiene rating in Wheathampstead →
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 →