The Dancing Crayfish food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · East Hertfordshire
The Dancing Crayfish holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the restaurant and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 28 March 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: Redricks Lakes, Redricks Lane, Sawbridgeworth, CM21 0RL
How it compares in East Hertfordshire
A 1 is rare: only 9 of 1,168 rated places in East Hertfordshire score this low, about one in 130. By contrast 84% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 977 | 84% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 146 | 13% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 30 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 6 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 9 | 1% | ← The Dancing Crayfish | |
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 221 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 Improvement necessary
- How well they manage food safety Major improvement necessary
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 Dancing Crayfish the inspector recorded concerns over the condition of the premises and confidence in management. 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 The Dancing Crayfish, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frostyfields Ltd Retailers - other | 226 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 March 2025 |
| Chaseways (Residential Home) Caring Premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 October 2025 |
| Body Active Health & Fitness Limited Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 March 2024 |
| Dee Dees Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 30 May 2025 |
| Costa At Tesco Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 7 March 2017 |
| Farmfoods Ltd Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 April 2021 |
| Cornish Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 December 2025 |
Questions about The Dancing Crayfish
What is The Dancing Crayfish's food hygiene rating?
The Dancing Crayfish has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by East Hertfordshire Council on 28 March 2026.
Is The Dancing Crayfish safe to eat at?
A 1 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 The Dancing Crayfish last inspected?
The Dancing Crayfish was last inspected on 28 March 2026, 3 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by East Hertfordshire Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Dancing Crayfish?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "improvement necessary", and confidence in the management of food safety "major improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Dancing Crayfish compare to other places in East Hertfordshire?
84% of the 1,168 rated food businesses in East Hertfordshire hold the top rating of 5, while The Dancing Crayfish holds a 1. 9 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
East Hertfordshire Council inspects The Dancing Crayfish 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 Dancing Crayfish 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 1 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 East Hertfordshire, 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: East Hertfordshire
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Dancing Crayfish is one of 67 rated food businesses in Sawbridgeworth. See every hygiene rating in Sawbridgeworth →
East Hertfordshire inspects and rates 1,389 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in East Hertfordshire →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.eastherts.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 →