The Great Northern food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · St Albans City
The Great Northern holds a 2, which means some improvement is necessary. The inspector found problems at the pub that the business is required to fix.
The rating: 2 - Some improvement necessary
The rating dates from 4 April 2025, 15 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: The Great Northern Ph, 172 London Road, St Albans, AL1 1PQ
How it compares in St Albans City
A 2 is rare: only 10 of 1,058 rated places in St Albans City score this low, about one in 106. By contrast 77% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 818 | 77% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 157 | 15% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 63 | 6% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ← The Great Northern | |
| 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 Good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Improvement necessary
- 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 Great Northern the inspector recorded concerns over the condition of the premises. 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 The Great Northern, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chez Mumtaj Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 24 February 2026 |
| Charlie's Coffee and Company & Mobile Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 45 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 February 2025 |
| Ballo Foods Retailers - other | 154 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 February 2026 |
| Cafe Alfresco Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 314 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 December 2024 |
| County Constitutional Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 359 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 May 2024 |
| Be Me Day Nurseries Caring Premises | 393 yards away | 5 - Very good | 13 May 2025 |
| Co-op Food London Road Retailers - other | 429 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 December 2024 |
| Coddess Fish and Chips Takeaway/sandwich shop | 435 yards away | 5 - Very good | 13 February 2025 |
Questions about The Great Northern
What is The Great Northern's food hygiene rating?
The Great Northern has a food hygiene rating of 2 out of 5 (some improvement necessary), given by St Albans City Council on 4 April 2025.
Is The Great Northern safe to eat at?
A 2 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The pub 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 The Great Northern last inspected?
The Great Northern was last inspected on 4 April 2025, 15 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 Great Northern?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "improvement necessary", 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 Great Northern 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 Great Northern holds a 2. 10 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
St Albans City Council inspects The Great Northern 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 Great Northern 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 2 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 St Albans City, 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: St Albans City
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
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 →