5

The Highwayman food hygiene rating

Pub/bar/nightclub · North Hertfordshire

The Highwayman holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the pub met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 5 February 2026, 5 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: The Highwayman Jacks Hill, Graveley, SG4 7EH

How it compares in North Hertfordshire

That puts The Highwayman among the 789 places in North Hertfordshire holding top marks, 78% 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 North Hertfordshire
5 out of 5 789 78% ← The Highwayman
4 out of 5 155 15%
3 out of 5 48 5%
2 out of 5 13 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

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 Highwayman 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 The Highwayman, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Chesfield Downs Golf Club Ltd Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 127 yards away 5 - Very good 8 May 2025
Botivo Manufacturers/packers 1.2 miles away 5 - Very good 24 April 2024
Coffee Haven Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 1.2 miles away 5 - Very good 24 April 2025
Alternative Catering Other catering premises 1.4 miles away 5 - Very good 16 February 2026
Dimples Pub/bar/nightclub 1.6 miles away 5 - Very good 28 January 2026
Esso - Letchworth Service Station Retailers - other 1.6 miles away 5 - Very good 15 December 2025
Daisy Moon Co Mobile caterer 1.6 miles away 5 - Very good 14 August 2025
Crispy Duck Rotisserie Takeaway/sandwich shop 1.8 miles away 5 - Very good 3 August 2024

Questions about The Highwayman

What is The Highwayman's food hygiene rating?

The Highwayman has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by North Hertfordshire Council on 5 February 2026.

Is The Highwayman 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 pub to be very good, the top end of the scale.

When was The Highwayman last inspected?

The Highwayman was last inspected on 5 February 2026, 5 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by North Hertfordshire Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at The Highwayman?

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 "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.

How does The Highwayman compare to other places in North Hertfordshire?

78% of the 1,015 rated food businesses in North Hertfordshire hold the top rating of 5, and The Highwayman is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

North Hertfordshire Council inspects The Highwayman 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 Highwayman and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

North Hertfordshire inspects and rates 1,120 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in North Hertfordshire

The official record is held by the council: http://www.north-herts.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 →