The Cottage Cafe food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Durham
The Cottage Cafe holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the restaurant met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
The rating dates from 29 May 2025, 13 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: 2 Holborn, Spennymoor, DL16 6QN
How it compares in Durham
That puts The Cottage Cafe among the 3,087 places in Durham holding top marks, 75% 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 | 3,087 | 75% | ← The Cottage Cafe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 682 | 17% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 286 | 7% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 51 | 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 Good
- 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 The Cottage Cafe 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 Cottage Cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| No 1 Chinese Takeaway Takeaway/sandwich shop | 20 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 July 2025 |
| Morrisons Daily Retailers - other | 45 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 October 2024 |
| Mr B's Bakery Retailers - other | 52 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 February 2025 |
| The Penny Gill Pub/bar/nightclub | 73 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 September 2019 |
| Namaste Spennymoor Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 82 yards away | 5 - Very good | 9 October 2025 |
| The Grand Electric Hall Pub/bar/nightclub | 95 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 November 2025 |
| Cheapside Fish and Chips Distributors/Transporters | 100 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 September 2025 |
| The Little Tap Pub/bar/nightclub | 110 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 May 2021 |
Questions about The Cottage Cafe
What is The Cottage Cafe's food hygiene rating?
The Cottage Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Durham Council on 29 May 2025.
Is The Cottage Cafe 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 restaurant to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Cottage Cafe last inspected?
The Cottage Cafe was last inspected on 29 May 2025, 13 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 Cottage Cafe?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "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 Cottage Cafe compare to other places in Durham?
75% of the 4,133 rated food businesses in Durham hold the top rating of 5, and The Cottage Cafe is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Durham Council inspects The Cottage Cafe 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 Cottage Cafe 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 Cottage Cafe is one of 118 rated food businesses in Spennymoor. See every hygiene rating in Spennymoor →
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 →