5

Let's Pretend food hygiene rating

Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Hartlepool

Let's Pretend 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 2 October 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: 18 Sydenham Road, Hartlepool, TS25 1QB

How it compares in Hartlepool

That puts Let's Pretend among the 672 places in Hartlepool holding top marks, 91% 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.

Every rated food business in Hartlepool
5 out of 5 672 91% ← Let's Pretend
4 out of 5 49 7%
3 out of 5 18 2%
2 out of 5 2 <1%
1 out of 5 0 0%
0 out of 5 0 0%

A further 30 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.

What the inspector found

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 Let's Pretend 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 Let's Pretend, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Belle Vue Way Social Club Pub/bar/nightclub 265 yards away 5 - Very good 24 February 2026
Cousin's Kitchen Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 266 yards away 5 - Very good 28 August 2025
11 O'Clock Shop (Lifestyle Express) Retailers - other 360 yards away 5 - Very good 17 July 2025
Amore Takeaway/sandwich shop 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 7 May 2024
Bits & Booze Retailers - other 0.4 miles away 5 - Very good 16 June 2025
Cornwall Street Convenience Store (Premier) Retailers - other 0.4 miles away 5 - Very good 17 February 2026
Aldi Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets 0.4 miles away 5 - Very good 22 January 2024
Best-One Burn Valley Wines Retailers - other 0.4 miles away 5 - Very good 22 May 2025

Questions about Let's Pretend

What is Let's Pretend's food hygiene rating?

Let's Pretend has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Hartlepool Council on 2 October 2025.

Is Let's Pretend 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 Let's Pretend last inspected?

Let's Pretend was last inspected on 2 October 2025, 9 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Hartlepool Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at Let's Pretend?

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 Let's Pretend compare to other places in Hartlepool?

91% of the 741 rated food businesses in Hartlepool hold the top rating of 5, and Let's Pretend is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Hartlepool Council inspects Let's Pretend 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 Let's Pretend 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

Hartlepool inspects and rates 771 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Hartlepool

The official record is held by the council: http://www.hartlepool.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 →