Tortoise Tea Room food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · East Hertfordshire
Tortoise Tea Room holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The restaurant met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 28 October 2010, more than 15 years ago. A lot can change in a kitchen in that time, and a rating this old says more about the business then than now. Councils prioritise re-inspecting higher-risk premises, so a long gap often means the business is considered low-risk.
Address: The Black Barn, North End Farm, Hare Street, SG9 0DX
How it compares in East Hertfordshire
In East Hertfordshire, 84% of rated places manage a 5, so Tortoise Tea Room sits behind roughly 1,123 nearby businesses. 3% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 977 | 84% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 146 | 13% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 30 | 3% | ← Tortoise Tea Room | |
| 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
- Hygienic food handling Generally satisfactory
- 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 Tortoise Tea Room 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 Tortoise Tea Room, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Beehive Pub/bar/nightclub | at this address | 5 - Very good | 20 March 2024 |
| The Deli Inflight Retailers - other | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 November 2022 |
| Turning Point Caring Premises | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 April 2024 |
Questions about Tortoise Tea Room
What is Tortoise Tea Room's food hygiene rating?
Tortoise Tea Room has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by East Hertfordshire Council on 28 October 2010.
Is Tortoise Tea Room safe to eat at?
A 3 means the restaurant met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was Tortoise Tea Room last inspected?
Tortoise Tea Room was last inspected on 28 October 2010, more than 15 years 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 Tortoise Tea Room?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", 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 Tortoise Tea Room compare to other places in East Hertfordshire?
84% of the 1,168 rated food businesses in East Hertfordshire hold the top rating of 5, while Tortoise Tea Room holds a 3. 30 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
East Hertfordshire Council inspects Tortoise Tea Room 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 Tortoise Tea Room and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Tortoise Tea Room is one of 61 rated food businesses in Buntingford. See every hygiene rating in Buntingford →
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 →