Elephant and Castle food hygiene rating

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 20 June 2026, 2 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.

92% of rated food businesses in St Albans City score 4 or 5, so this is a normal, good result for the area. See all St Albans City ratings →

Address: The Elephant and Castle, Amwell Lane, Wheathampstead, AL4 8EA

How this rating has changed

Elephant and Castle was re-inspected on 20 June 2026 and held its rating of 5.

The FSA publishes only a business's current rating. This history is our own record of what it has scored since we began watching.

How it compares in St Albans City

That puts Elephant and Castle among the 820 places in St Albans City holding top marks, 77% 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.

Every rated food business in St Albans City

5 out of 5		820	77%	← Elephant and Castle
4 out of 5		156	15%
3 out of 5		69	6%
2 out of 5		10	1%
1 out of 5		8	1%
0 out of 5		1	<1%

A further 110 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 Elephant and Castle 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.

Understanding this rating

• What does a 0 food hygiene rating mean? A 0 means the inspector found serious problems and urgent improvement is necessary. It is the lowest rating the scheme gives, but it is not a closure order, and a business with a 0 can, and usually does, keep trading while it puts things right.
• Does a low hygiene rating mean the food is unsafe? A low rating tells you that an inspector found problems on a particular day. It is not a measurement of the food, it is not a prediction, and it is not a verdict on whether you will get ill. It is the best single signal a member of the public has, and it is a snapshot.
• Does a business have to display its hygiene rating? It depends where you are. In Wales and Northern Ireland a food business must display its rating where you can read it before you go in. In England it is voluntary, a business there can legally show you nothing.

More food hygiene ratings near here

Elephant and Castle is one of 32 rated food businesses in Wheathampstead. See every hygiene rating in Wheathampstead →

St Albans City inspects and rates 1,174 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