The Oliver and Hare food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Central Bedfordshire
The Oliver and Hare 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 6 November 2025, 8 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: 2 Hockliffe Street, Leighton Buzzard, Beds, LU7 1HJ
How it compares in Central Bedfordshire
In Central Bedfordshire, 76% of rated places manage a 5, so The Oliver and Hare sits behind roughly 1,407 nearby businesses. 5% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,153 | 76% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 254 | 17% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 83 | 5% | ← The Oliver and Hare | |
| 2 out of 5 | 18 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 189 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 Oliver and Hare 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 Oliver and Hare, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amore Pizzeria lb Ltd Takeaway/sandwich shop | at this address | 5 - Very good | 8 October 2025 |
| Dilraj Takeaway/sandwich shop | 41 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 December 2025 |
| Istanbul Kebab House Takeaway/sandwich shop | 41 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 July 2025 |
| Mrs Elizabeth Edwards Other catering premises | 41 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 March 2025 |
| Aristo Tots Nursery School Caring Premises | 99 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 January 2025 |
| Footsteps Private Day Nursery Caring Premises | 174 yards away | 5 - Very good | 3 September 2025 |
| Amore Desserts Mobile caterer | 217 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 November 2025 |
| Amore Bakery Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 217 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 March 2019 |
Questions about The Oliver and Hare
What is The Oliver and Hare's food hygiene rating?
The Oliver and Hare has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Central Bedfordshire Council on 6 November 2025.
Is The Oliver and Hare 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 The Oliver and Hare last inspected?
The Oliver and Hare was last inspected on 6 November 2025, 8 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Central Bedfordshire Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Oliver and Hare?
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 Oliver and Hare compare to other places in Central Bedfordshire?
76% of the 1,520 rated food businesses in Central Bedfordshire hold the top rating of 5, while The Oliver and Hare holds a 3. 83 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Central Bedfordshire Council inspects The Oliver and Hare 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 Oliver and Hare 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 Oliver and Hare is one of 577 rated food businesses in Beds. See every hygiene rating in Beds →
Central Bedfordshire inspects and rates 1,709 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Central Bedfordshire →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.centralbedfordshire.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 →