5

Sortie food hygiene rating

Pub/bar/nightclub · Darlington

Sortie holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the pub met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 21 March 2025, 15 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: 4 Houndgate Mews, Darlington, DL1 5SG

How it compares in Darlington

That puts Sortie among the 755 places in Darlington holding top marks, 90% 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 Darlington
5 out of 5 755 90% ← Sortie
4 out of 5 48 6%
3 out of 5 19 2%
2 out of 5 7 1%
1 out of 5 6 1%
0 out of 5 1 <1%

A further 79 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 Sortie 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 Sortie, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Agape4allfoods Limited Retailers - other 12 yards away 5 - Very good 1 July 2025
Cafe Zest (Massarella Restaurants Ltd) At House Of Fraser Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 59 yards away 5 - Very good 3 September 2025
Aly's Mart Retailers - other 64 yards away 5 - Very good 12 June 2026
Cherry Tree Cocktail Bar Pub/bar/nightclub 78 yards away 5 - Very good 30 January 2025
Age Uk (Cafe And The Arcade Dementia Centre) Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 103 yards away 5 - Very good 26 February 2025
Blair And Sons Retailers - other 110 yards away 5 - Very good 20 February 2026
Cafe Spice Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 114 yards away 5 - Very good 11 March 2026
Bakerman Retailers - other 119 yards away 5 - Very good 25 October 2023

Questions about Sortie

What is Sortie's food hygiene rating?

Sortie has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Darlington Council on 21 March 2025.

Is Sortie 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 pub to be very good, the top end of the scale.

When was Sortie last inspected?

Sortie was last inspected on 21 March 2025, 15 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Darlington Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at Sortie?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.

How does Sortie compare to other places in Darlington?

90% of the 836 rated food businesses in Darlington hold the top rating of 5, and Sortie is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Darlington Council inspects Sortie 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 Sortie 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

Darlington inspects and rates 915 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Darlington

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