Play-a-loud food hygiene rating
Caring Premises · North Hertfordshire
Play-a-loud holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the care premises are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 29 September 2025, 9 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: St Andrews C Of E Primary School Benslow Lane, Hitchin, SG4 9RD
How it compares in North Hertfordshire
In North Hertfordshire, 78% of rated places manage a 5, so Play-a-loud sits behind roughly 789 nearby businesses. 15% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 789 | 78% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 155 | 15% | ← Play-a-loud | |
| 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 Generally satisfactory
- Cleanliness & condition of the building 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 Play-a-loud 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 Play-a-loud, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benslow Music Trust Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 57 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 April 2025 |
| AnX Bar Pub/bar/nightclub | 262 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 August 2025 |
| B&M Retail Ltd Retailers - other | 364 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 November 2018 |
| Asda Express PFS Nightingale Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 27 March 2026 |
| Club 85 Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 27 September 2011 |
| Bite Around The World Mobile caterer | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 October 2024 |
| Beer Shop Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 31 January 2017 |
| Feed up warm up Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 December 2021 |
Questions about Play-a-loud
What is Play-a-loud's food hygiene rating?
Play-a-loud has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by North Hertfordshire Council on 29 September 2025.
Is Play-a-loud safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this care premises to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was Play-a-loud last inspected?
Play-a-loud was last inspected on 29 September 2025, 9 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 Play-a-loud?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", 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 Play-a-loud compare to other places in North Hertfordshire?
78% of the 1,015 rated food businesses in North Hertfordshire hold the top rating of 5, while Play-a-loud holds a 4. 155 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
North Hertfordshire Council inspects Play-a-loud 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 Play-a-loud and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Play-a-loud 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 →