The Victoria food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · North Hertfordshire
The Victoria 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 3 September 2025, 10 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 Victoria Ickleford Road, Hitchin, SG5 1TJ
How it compares in North Hertfordshire
That puts The Victoria 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.
| 5 out of 5 | 789 | 78% | ← The Victoria | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
- Hygienic food handling Good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Very good
- 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 The Victoria 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 Victoria, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blakes Corner Store (99-100 Ickleford Road) Retailers - other | 40 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 September 2022 |
| Feed up warm up Retailers - other | 135 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 December 2021 |
| Domino's Pizza Takeaway/sandwich shop | 182 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 March 2025 |
| Bancroft Kiosk Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 274 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 May 2023 |
| Club 85 Pub/bar/nightclub | 355 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 September 2011 |
| Caffe Elite Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 385 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 September 2025 |
| Ali Baba Kebab House Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 September 2025 |
| Cafe Seventy Seven Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 13 May 2025 |
Questions about The Victoria
What is The Victoria's food hygiene rating?
The Victoria has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by North Hertfordshire Council on 3 September 2025.
Is The Victoria 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 Victoria last inspected?
The Victoria was last inspected on 3 September 2025, 10 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 Victoria?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "very 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 Victoria 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 Victoria is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
North Hertfordshire Council inspects The Victoria 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 Victoria and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Victoria is one of 307 rated food businesses in Hitchin. See every hygiene rating in Hitchin →
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 →