5

Marks & Spencer food hygiene rating

Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets · East Hertfordshire

Marks & Spencer holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the supermarket met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 20 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: 140-144 Fore Street, Hertford, Hertfordshire, SG14 1AJ

How it compares in East Hertfordshire

That puts Marks & Spencer among the 977 places in East Hertfordshire holding top marks, 84% of everywhere the council rates. A 5 is the norm here rather than the exception, so it is the rating to expect, not to be impressed by.

Every rated food business in East Hertfordshire
5 out of 5 977 84% ← Marks & Spencer
4 out of 5 146 13%
3 out of 5 30 3%
2 out of 5 6 1%
1 out of 5 9 1%
0 out of 5 0 0%

A further 221 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.

What the inspector found

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 Marks & Spencer 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 Marks & Spencer, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Hertford Cake Co Ltd Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 41 yards away 5 - Very good 29 March 2024
Cinnabar Cafe Pub/bar/nightclub 98 yards away 5 - Very good 8 February 2023
Hertford Bell Pub/bar/nightclub 115 yards away 5 - Very good 24 June 2024
Domino's Pizza Takeaway/sandwich shop 122 yards away 5 - Very good 22 April 2024
Esquires Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 142 yards away 5 - Very good 26 May 2025
Ember Hertford Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 164 yards away 5 - Very good 11 December 2024
Caffe Nero Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 186 yards away 5 - Very good 1 June 2024
Brad And Dills Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 189 yards away 5 - Very good 20 September 2025

Questions about Marks & Spencer

What is Marks & Spencer's food hygiene rating?

Marks & Spencer has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by East Hertfordshire Council on 20 September 2024.

Is Marks & Spencer safe to eat at?

The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 5 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this supermarket to be very good, the top end of the scale.

When was Marks & Spencer last inspected?

Marks & Spencer was last inspected on 20 September 2024, 21 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by East Hertfordshire Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at Marks & Spencer?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "very good", and confidence in the management of food safety "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.

How does Marks & Spencer compare to other places in East Hertfordshire?

84% of the 1,168 rated food businesses in East Hertfordshire hold the top rating of 5, and Marks & Spencer is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

East Hertfordshire Council inspects Marks & Spencer 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 Marks & Spencer 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 →

Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

Marks & Spencer is one of 255 rated food businesses in Hertford. See every hygiene rating in Hertford

East Hertfordshire inspects and rates 1,389 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in East Hertfordshire

The official record is held by the council: http://www.eastherts.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 →