Head of Steam food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Torbay
Head of Steam holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the restaurant are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 29 October 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: Queens Park Station Torbay Road Paignton, TQ4 6AF
How it compares in Torbay
In Torbay, 81% of rated places manage a 5, so Head of Steam sits behind roughly 934 nearby businesses. 12% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 934 | 81% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 142 | 12% | ← Head of Steam | |
| 3 out of 5 | 39 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 11 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 29 | 3% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 3 | <1% |
A further 364 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 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 Head of Steam 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 Head of Steam, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee#1 Retailers - other | 126 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 January 2025 |
| Costa Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 156 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 October 2024 |
| Cinnamon and Olives Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 189 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 November 2025 |
| Caffe Tutto Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 219 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 January 2025 |
| Crawshay, John Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 219 yards away | 5 - Very good | 13 January 2026 |
| Adelphi Hotel Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 235 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 October 2014 |
| Coffee 'n' Cone Takeaway/sandwich shop | 264 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 June 2026 |
| Berry Hotel Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 319 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 January 2025 |
Questions about Head of Steam
What is Head of Steam's food hygiene rating?
Head of Steam has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Torbay Council on 29 October 2025.
Is Head of Steam safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this restaurant to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was Head of Steam last inspected?
Head of Steam was last inspected on 29 October 2025, 8 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Torbay Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Head of Steam?
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 "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Head of Steam compare to other places in Torbay?
81% of the 1,158 rated food businesses in Torbay hold the top rating of 5, while Head of Steam holds a 4. 142 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Torbay Council inspects Head of Steam 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 Head of Steam and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Torbay inspects and rates 1,522 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Torbay →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.torbay.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 →