5

The Duck food hygiene rating

Pub/bar/nightclub · Durham

The Duck 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 19 October 2022, more than 3 years ago. A lot can change in a kitchen in that time, and a rating this old says more about the business then than now. Councils prioritise re-inspecting higher-risk premises, so a long gap often means the business is considered low-risk.

Address: 91A Claypath, Durham, DH1 1RG

How it compares in Durham

That puts The Duck among the 3,086 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.

Every rated food business in Durham
5 out of 5 3,086 75% ← The Duck
4 out of 5 684 17%
3 out of 5 286 7%
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

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 Duck 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 Duck, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Cafe Cenno Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 151 yards away 5 - Very good 6 May 2026
Anderson's Greengrocers Retailers - other 151 yards away 5 - Very good 5 June 2024
Durham Distillery Retailers - other 168 yards away 5 - Very good 10 October 2023
Bells Fish & Chips Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 179 yards away 5 - Very good 23 February 2026
Durham City Fruiterers Retailers - other 181 yards away 5 - Very good 13 August 2025
Chapters of Durham Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 192 yards away 5 - Very good 25 February 2025
Blue Eyes Durham Limited Pub/bar/nightclub 216 yards away 5 - Very good 21 July 2025
Cafedral Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 303 yards away 5 - Very good 12 June 2026

Questions about The Duck

What is The Duck's food hygiene rating?

The Duck has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Durham Council on 19 October 2022.

Is The Duck 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 The Duck last inspected?

The Duck was last inspected on 19 October 2022, more than 3 years 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 Duck?

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 The Duck compare to other places in Durham?

75% of the 4,133 rated food businesses in Durham hold the top rating of 5, and The Duck is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Durham Council inspects The Duck 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 Duck and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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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 →