The Wheatsheaf Inn food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Durham
The Wheatsheaf Inn holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The pub met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 17 February 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: Wheatsheaf Inn North Road, Chester-le-Street, DH3 2AB
How it compares in Durham
In Durham, 75% of rated places manage a 5, so The Wheatsheaf Inn sits behind roughly 3,770 nearby businesses. 7% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 3,086 | 75% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 684 | 17% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 286 | 7% | ← The Wheatsheaf Inn | |
| 2 out of 5 | 50 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 25 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 512 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 Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety Generally satisfactory
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 Wheatsheaf Inn 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 Wheatsheaf Inn, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appletree Grange Care Home Caring Premises | 397 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 January 2026 |
| Dobbies Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 27 January 2025 |
| Chin Up Coffee Mobile caterer | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 April 2023 |
| Gather & Gather Limited Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 30 March 2026 |
| Barley Mow Inn Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 August 2024 |
| Barley Mow Working Mens Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 April 2023 |
| Gateshead School Catering at Barley Mow Primary School School/college/university | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 24 April 2024 |
| 2nd Home Childcare Barlew Mow Caring Premises | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 March 2025 |
Questions about The Wheatsheaf Inn
What is The Wheatsheaf Inn's food hygiene rating?
The Wheatsheaf Inn has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Durham Council on 17 February 2026.
Is The Wheatsheaf Inn safe to eat at?
A 3 means the pub met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was The Wheatsheaf Inn last inspected?
The Wheatsheaf Inn was last inspected on 17 February 2026, 4 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Durham Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Wheatsheaf Inn?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Wheatsheaf Inn compare to other places in Durham?
75% of the 4,133 rated food businesses in Durham hold the top rating of 5, while The Wheatsheaf Inn holds a 3. 286 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Durham Council inspects The Wheatsheaf Inn 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 Wheatsheaf Inn 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 →
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Durham inspects and rates 4,645 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Durham →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.durham.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 →