Tesco Express food hygiene rating
Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets · St Albans City
Tesco Express holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the supermarket 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 30 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: 103-105 Lower Luton Road, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 5AL
How it compares in St Albans City
In St Albans City, 77% of rated places manage a 5, so Tesco Express 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% | ← Tesco Express | |
| 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 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 Tesco Express 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 Tesco Express, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scarlett's Kitchen Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 115 yards away | 5 - Very good | 2 June 2026 |
| Co-op Food Batford Retailers - other | 177 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 November 2024 |
| Balti Village Takeaway/sandwich shop | 208 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 December 2025 |
| HCL Catering @ Katherine Warington School School/college/university | 289 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 April 2024 |
| Gibraltar Castle Pub/bar/nightclub | 301 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 April 2025 |
| Amble Inn Pub/bar/nightclub | 310 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 March 2025 |
| Skylarks Day Care Caring Premises | 404 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 August 2024 |
| Sir John Lawes School School/college/university | 424 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 November 2024 |
Questions about Tesco Express
What is Tesco Express's food hygiene rating?
Tesco Express has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by St Albans City Council on 30 March 2026.
Is Tesco Express 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 supermarket to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was Tesco Express last inspected?
Tesco Express was last inspected on 30 March 2026, 3 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 Tesco Express?
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 Tesco Express 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 Tesco Express holds a 4. 157 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
St Albans City Council inspects Tesco Express 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 Tesco Express and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Tesco Express 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 →