Oaks Cafe food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Stevenage
Oaks Cafe 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 18 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.
Only 1% of rated food businesses in Stevenage score 0 to 2 like this, so a low rating here is the exception, not the norm. See all Stevenage ratings →
Address: 110 Oaks Cross, Stevenage, Herts, SG2 8LU
How this rating has changed
Oaks Cafe was re-inspected on 18 June 2026 and held its rating of 1.
| Inspected | Rating | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 18 June 2026 | AwaitingInspection 1 | Held |
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 Stevenage
A 1 is rare: only 7 of 510 rated places in Stevenage score this low, about one in 73. By contrast 88% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 450 | 88% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 39 | 8% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 11 | 2% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 1 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 7 | 1% | ← Oaks Cafe | |
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 173 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 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 Oaks Cafe the inspector recorded concerns over 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 Oaks Cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnwell School School/college/university | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 February 2026 |
| Co-op Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 December 2024 |
| Downtown Pizza & Kebabs Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 13 November 2025 |
| Days Fish And Chips Manufacturers/packers | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 30 June 2026 |
| Co-op Store Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 May 2019 |
| Farmhouse Pizza Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 December 2025 |
| Checkers Afro Caribbean Store Retailers - other | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 27 January 2025 |
| Costack Spices Distributors/Transporters | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 June 2026 |
Questions about Oaks Cafe
What is Oaks Cafe's food hygiene rating?
Oaks Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Stevenage Council on 18 June 2026.
Is Oaks Cafe 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 Oaks Cafe last inspected?
Oaks Cafe was last inspected on 18 June 2026, 2 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Stevenage Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Oaks Cafe?
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 "major improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Oaks Cafe compare to other places in Stevenage?
88% of the 510 rated food businesses in Stevenage hold the top rating of 5, while Oaks Cafe holds a 1. 7 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Stevenage Council inspects Oaks Cafe 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 Oaks Cafe 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 Stevenage, 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: Stevenage
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Oaks Cafe is one of 417 rated food businesses in Herts. See every hygiene rating in Herts →
Stevenage inspects and rates 683 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Stevenage →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.stevenage.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 →