Cornish Hearts food hygiene rating
Takeaway/sandwich shop · North Hertfordshire
Cornish Hearts holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the takeaway 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 11 November 2025, 8 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: 5 Market Place, Hitchin, SG5 1DR
How it compares in North Hertfordshire
In North Hertfordshire, 78% of rated places manage a 5, so Cornish Hearts 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% | ← Cornish Hearts | |
| 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 Cornish Hearts 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 Cornish Hearts, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Esquires Hitchin Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 18 June 2026 |
| Fabios Gelato Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 4 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 May 2026 |
| Delizia Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 48 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 July 2024 |
| Halsey's Deli & Eatery Retailers - other | 48 yards away | 5 - Very good | 13 April 2026 |
| Bombay Bite Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 55 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 April 2025 |
| Hitchin Information Retailers - other | 55 yards away | 5 - Very good | 13 February 2024 |
| Groundworks Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 59 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 April 2025 |
| Andrew Voisey Retailers - other | 74 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 January 2026 |
Questions about Cornish Hearts
What is Cornish Hearts's food hygiene rating?
Cornish Hearts has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by North Hertfordshire Council on 11 November 2025.
Is Cornish Hearts 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 takeaway to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was Cornish Hearts last inspected?
Cornish Hearts was last inspected on 11 November 2025, 8 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 Cornish Hearts?
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 Cornish Hearts 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 Cornish Hearts holds a 4. 155 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
North Hertfordshire Council inspects Cornish Hearts 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 Cornish Hearts and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Cornish Hearts 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 →