The Cross Keys food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · St Albans City
The Cross Keys holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the pub 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 19 September 2024, 21 months ago. That is getting on for the longest gap councils usually leave, so the score may not reflect how the business is run today.
Address: The Cross Keys Ph, 39 High Street, Harpenden, AL5 2SD
How it compares in St Albans City
In St Albans City, 77% of rated places manage a 5, so The Cross Keys sits behind roughly 818 nearby businesses. 15% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 818 | 77% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 157 | 15% | ← The Cross Keys | |
| 3 out of 5 | 63 | 6% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 105 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Very 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 The Cross Keys 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 Cross Keys, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| COOK Retailers - other | 47 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 February 2025 |
| Sainsbury's Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 134 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 July 2024 |
| Marks & Spencer Simply Foods Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 136 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 October 2023 |
| HCL Catering @ St Nicholas C of E V A Primary School/college/university | 149 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 May 2025 |
| Bangkok Lounge Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 171 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 March 2025 |
| Old Cock Inn Pub/bar/nightclub | 171 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 July 2024 |
| Silver Palate Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 189 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 March 2025 |
| Silver Palate Delicatessen Retailers - other | 195 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 March 2025 |
Questions about The Cross Keys
What is The Cross Keys's food hygiene rating?
The Cross Keys has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by St Albans City Council on 19 September 2024.
Is The Cross Keys 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 pub to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Cross Keys last inspected?
The Cross Keys was last inspected on 19 September 2024, 21 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by St Albans City Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Cross Keys?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very 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 The Cross Keys compare to other places in St Albans City?
77% of the 1,058 rated food businesses in St Albans City hold the top rating of 5, while The Cross Keys holds a 4. 157 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
St Albans City Council inspects The Cross Keys 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 Cross Keys 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 Cross Keys is one of 193 rated food businesses in Harpenden. See every hygiene rating in Harpenden →
St Albans City inspects and rates 1,163 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in St Albans City →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.stalbans.gov.uk/business/Health-and-safety/food-safety/foodHygieneRating.aspx
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 →