Cinnamon food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · St Albans City
Cinnamon holds a 2, which means some improvement is necessary. The inspector found problems at the restaurant that the business is required to fix.
The rating: 2 - Some improvement necessary
The rating dates from 12 July 2025, 12 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: 3 Thompsons Close, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 4ES
How it compares in St Albans City
A 2 is rare: only 10 of 1,058 rated places in St Albans City score this low, about one in 106. 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 | 818 | 77% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 157 | 15% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 63 | 6% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ← Cinnamon | |
| 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 Improvement necessary
- 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 Cinnamon the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled. 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 Cinnamon, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| COOK Retailers - other | 60 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 February 2025 |
| Sainsbury's Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 132 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 July 2024 |
| Per Tutti Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 182 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 June 2025 |
| Silver Palate Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 184 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 March 2025 |
| Marks & Spencer Simply Foods Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 188 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 October 2023 |
| Bangkok Lounge Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 189 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 March 2025 |
| Old Cock Inn Pub/bar/nightclub | 189 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 July 2024 |
| Silver Palate Delicatessen Retailers - other | 191 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 March 2025 |
Questions about Cinnamon
What is Cinnamon's food hygiene rating?
Cinnamon has a food hygiene rating of 2 out of 5 (some improvement necessary), given by St Albans City Council on 12 July 2025.
Is Cinnamon safe to eat at?
A 2 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The restaurant is not shut down, a rating is not a closure order, but standards were found to be below what the law expects at the time of inspection.
When was Cinnamon last inspected?
Cinnamon was last inspected on 12 July 2025, 12 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 Cinnamon?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "improvement necessary", 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 Cinnamon 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 Cinnamon holds a 2. 10 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
St Albans City Council inspects Cinnamon 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 Cinnamon 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 2 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
Cinnamon 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 →