The Hug and Heave food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Derbyshire Dales
The Hug and Heave holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the restaurant met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
The rating dates from 9 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: 33 St John Street, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, DE6 1GP
How it compares in Derbyshire Dales
That puts The Hug and Heave among the 526 places in Derbyshire Dales holding top marks, 64% of everywhere the council rates. A 5 is the norm here rather than the exception, so it is the rating to expect, not to be impressed by.
| 5 out of 5 | 526 | 64% | ← The Hug and Heave | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 168 | 20% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 90 | 11% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 24 | 3% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 84 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 Good
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 Hug and Heave 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 Hug and Heave, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poms Ashbourne Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 4 November 2024 |
| Beaumonts of Ashbourne Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 32 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 January 2026 |
| Booboo Desserts & Bubble Tea Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 34 yards away | 3 - Generally satisfactory | 26 March 2025 |
| Queen's Vaults Pub/bar/nightclub | 34 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 February 2023 |
| Ashbourne Ex-Servicemens Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 41 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 April 2026 |
| White Swan Pub/bar/nightclub | 41 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 December 2021 |
| Market Fish & Chip Shop Takeaway/sandwich shop | 41 yards away | 4 - Good | 12 June 2024 |
| Ye Olde Vaults Pub/bar/nightclub | 41 yards away | 4 - Good | 3 June 2026 |
Questions about The Hug and Heave
What is The Hug and Heave's food hygiene rating?
The Hug and Heave has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Derbyshire Dales Council on 9 April 2026.
Is The Hug and Heave safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 5 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this restaurant to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Hug and Heave last inspected?
The Hug and Heave was last inspected on 9 April 2026, 3 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Derbyshire Dales Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Hug and Heave?
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 "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Hug and Heave compare to other places in Derbyshire Dales?
64% of the 820 rated food businesses in Derbyshire Dales hold the top rating of 5, and The Hug and Heave is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Derbyshire Dales Council inspects The Hug and Heave 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 Hug and Heave 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 Hug and Heave is one of 105 rated food businesses in Ashbourne. See every hygiene rating in Ashbourne →
Derbyshire Dales inspects and rates 904 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Derbyshire Dales →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.derbyshiredales.gov.uk/fhrs
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 →