The Spotted Dog food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Dacorum
The Spotted Dog holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The pub met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 28 April 2025, 14 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: 8 High Street, Flamstead, AL3 8BS
How it compares in Dacorum
In Dacorum, 77% of rated places manage a 5, so The Spotted Dog sits behind roughly 1,056 nearby businesses. 5% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 864 | 77% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 192 | 17% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 55 | 5% | ← The Spotted Dog | |
| 2 out of 5 | 5 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 6 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 137 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 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 The Spotted Dog 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 Spotted Dog, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flamstead Village Store & Post Office Retailers - other | 45 yards away | 5 - Very good | 3 November 2016 |
| Three Blackbirds Pub/bar/nightclub | 75 yards away | 4 - Good | 15 May 2026 |
| Flamstead Pre-School Caring Premises | 130 yards away | 4 - Good | 16 December 2024 |
| Apple Trees Child Care Caring Premises | 130 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 October 2024 |
| Flamstead Village School School/college/university | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 7 November 2024 |
| Rose & Crown Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.5 miles away | 4 - Good | 2 September 2022 |
| Harvester Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 29 August 2025 |
| Premier Inn Luton South M1 J9 Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 June 2026 |
Questions about The Spotted Dog
What is The Spotted Dog's food hygiene rating?
The Spotted Dog has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Dacorum Council on 28 April 2025.
Is The Spotted Dog safe to eat at?
A 3 means the pub met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was The Spotted Dog last inspected?
The Spotted Dog was last inspected on 28 April 2025, 14 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Dacorum Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Spotted Dog?
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 "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Spotted Dog compare to other places in Dacorum?
77% of the 1,123 rated food businesses in Dacorum hold the top rating of 5, while The Spotted Dog holds a 3. 55 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Dacorum Council inspects The Spotted Dog 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 Spotted Dog 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 →
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Spotted Dog is one of 27 rated food businesses in St Albans. See every hygiene rating in St Albans →
Dacorum inspects and rates 1,260 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Dacorum →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.dacorum.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 →