The Taj food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Hart
The Taj 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 12 March 2026, 3 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: 1A High Street, Hartley Wintney, Hook, RG27 8PE
How it compares in Hart
In Hart, 85% of rated places manage a 5, so The Taj sits behind roughly 488 nearby businesses. 12% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 488 | 85% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 68 | 12% | ← The Taj | |
| 3 out of 5 | 19 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 0 | 0% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 2 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 49 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 The Taj 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 Taj, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Bear Bookshop Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 6 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 January 2025 |
| Monsoon Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 90 yards away | 4 - Good | 29 May 2025 |
| The Elvetham Hotel Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 242 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 January 2025 |
| Valentinos Salumeria Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 248 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 December 2025 |
| The Sweetshop Hartley Wintney Retailers - other | 290 yards away | Awaiting inspection | |
| Byrons Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 309 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 January 2026 |
| Tesco Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 361 yards away | 5 - Very good | 6 June 2025 |
| William Dyer Retailers - other | 372 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 July 2025 |
Questions about The Taj
What is The Taj's food hygiene rating?
The Taj has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Hart Council on 12 March 2026.
Is The Taj 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 The Taj last inspected?
The Taj was last inspected on 12 March 2026, 3 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Hart Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Taj?
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 The Taj compare to other places in Hart?
85% of the 577 rated food businesses in Hart hold the top rating of 5, while The Taj holds a 4. 68 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Hart Council inspects The Taj 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 Taj and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Taj is one of 147 rated food businesses in Hook. See every hygiene rating in Hook →
Hart inspects and rates 626 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Hart →
The official record is held by the council: https://www.hart.gov.uk/environment/environmental-health
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 →