Zest food hygiene rating
Takeaway/sandwich shop · Dacorum
Zest holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the takeaway 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 27 May 2025, 13 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: 16 High Street, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 3AE
How it compares in Dacorum
In Dacorum, 77% of rated places manage a 5, so Zest sits behind roughly 864 nearby businesses. 17% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 864 | 77% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 192 | 17% | ← Zest | |
| 3 out of 5 | 55 | 5% | ||
| 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 Good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- 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 Zest 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 Zest, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud Calls Retailers - other | 208 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 July 2024 |
| Aramark at West Herts College Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 236 yards away | 5 - Very good | 13 November 2024 |
| Coffee and Wine Other catering premises | 267 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 July 2024 |
| Alexandra Care Home Caring Premises | 340 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 April 2026 |
| Alexandra Guest House Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 340 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 May 2025 |
| Butterflies and Rainbows pre school Caring Premises | 373 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 March 2026 |
| Carey Baptist Church Other catering premises | 373 yards away | 5 - Very good | 13 February 2024 |
| Carlss Express (Londis) Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 April 2023 |
Questions about Zest
What is Zest's food hygiene rating?
Zest has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Dacorum Council on 27 May 2025.
Is Zest 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 takeaway to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was Zest last inspected?
Zest was last inspected on 27 May 2025, 13 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 Zest?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Zest compare to other places in Dacorum?
77% of the 1,123 rated food businesses in Dacorum hold the top rating of 5, while Zest holds a 4. 192 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Dacorum Council inspects Zest 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 Zest and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Zest is one of 634 rated food businesses in Hemel Hempstead. See every hygiene rating in Hemel Hempstead →
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 →