Leonard Ames Ltd food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Central Bedfordshire
Leonard Ames Ltd holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the restaurant and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 7 July 2025, 12 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: Doolittle Mill, Steppingley Road, Ampthill, MK45 2NX
How it compares in Central Bedfordshire
A 1 is rare: only 10 of 1,520 rated places in Central Bedfordshire score this low, about one in 152. By contrast 76% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,153 | 76% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 254 | 17% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 83 | 5% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 18 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 10 | 1% | ← Leonard Ames Ltd | |
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 189 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Major improvement necessary
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety Major improvement necessary
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 Leonard Ames Ltd the inspector recorded concerns over how food is handled and confidence in management. 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 Leonard Ames Ltd, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Country Court Flitwick Caring Premises | 348 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 July 2025 |
| Shell Waitrose Flitwick Retailers - other | 348 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 June 2024 |
| Aldi Stores Ltd Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 407 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 November 2023 |
| Redborne North Upper School School/college/university | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 March 2025 |
| Redborne Upper School (south) School/college/university | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 June 2024 |
| Flitwick Football Centre Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 June 2024 |
| Flitwick Town Council t/a The Rendezvous Café and Flitwick Community Fridge Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 September 2025 |
| Flitwick Leisure Centre Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 April 2025 |
Questions about Leonard Ames Ltd
What is Leonard Ames Ltd's food hygiene rating?
Leonard Ames Ltd has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Central Bedfordshire Council on 7 July 2025.
Is Leonard Ames Ltd safe to eat at?
A 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The restaurant 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 Leonard Ames Ltd last inspected?
Leonard Ames Ltd was last inspected on 7 July 2025, 12 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Central Bedfordshire Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Leonard Ames Ltd?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "major improvement necessary", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "major improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Leonard Ames Ltd compare to other places in Central Bedfordshire?
76% of the 1,520 rated food businesses in Central Bedfordshire hold the top rating of 5, while Leonard Ames Ltd holds a 1. 10 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Central Bedfordshire Council inspects Leonard Ames Ltd 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 Leonard Ames Ltd 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 1 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 Central Bedfordshire, 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: Central Bedfordshire
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Leonard Ames Ltd is one of 56 rated food businesses in Ampthill. See every hygiene rating in Ampthill →
Central Bedfordshire inspects and rates 1,709 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Central Bedfordshire →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.centralbedfordshire.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 →