The Hive food hygiene rating
School/college/university · Cheshire East
The Hive holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the school kitchen and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 5 March 2026, 4 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: Wheelock Primary School Crewe Road, Sandbach, CW11 4PY
How it compares in Cheshire East
A 1 is rare: only 22 of 2,733 rated places in Cheshire East score this low, about one in 124. By contrast 89% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 2,438 | 89% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 191 | 7% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 71 | 3% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 9 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 22 | 1% | ← The Hive | |
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 361 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Very good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Good
- 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 The Hive the inspector recorded concerns over confidence in management. Because the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, that is what holds the score down.
Questions about The Hive
What is The Hive's food hygiene rating?
The Hive has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Cheshire East Council on 5 March 2026.
Is The Hive safe to eat at?
A 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The school kitchen 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 Hive last inspected?
The Hive was last inspected on 5 March 2026, 4 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Cheshire East Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Hive?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", 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 The Hive compare to other places in Cheshire East?
89% of the 2,733 rated food businesses in Cheshire East hold the top rating of 5, while The Hive holds a 1. 22 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Cheshire East Council inspects The Hive 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 Hive 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 Cheshire East, 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: Cheshire East
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Hive is one of 154 rated food businesses in Sandbach. See every hygiene rating in Sandbach →
Cheshire East inspects and rates 3,094 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Cheshire East →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.cheshireeast.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 →