The Old Pay Office food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Durham
The Old Pay Office holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the restaurant are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 2 September 2025, 10 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: The Old Pay Office 1A Ashton Street, Easington Colliery, SR8 3QQ
How it compares in Durham
In Durham, 75% of rated places manage a 5, so The Old Pay Office sits behind roughly 3,086 nearby businesses. 17% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 3,086 | 75% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 684 | 17% | ← The Old Pay Office | |
| 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
- Hygienic food handling Generally satisfactory
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Very 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 Old Pay Office 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 Old Pay Office, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Leather Cap Sports and Social Club Ltd Pub/bar/nightclub | 90 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 November 2025 |
| Cafe Together Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 224 yards away | 5 - Very good | 3 April 2025 |
| Taste of Home Takeaway/sandwich shop | 429 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 April 2025 |
| Pizza Mania Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 November 2025 |
| Elliott House - Paramount Care Easington Caring Premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 9 October 2024 |
| Easington Colliery AFC Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 9 July 2025 |
| Easington Colliery Cricket Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 28 August 2018 |
| Easington Colliery WMC and Institute Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 29 October 2018 |
Questions about The Old Pay Office
What is The Old Pay Office's food hygiene rating?
The Old Pay Office has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Durham Council on 2 September 2025.
Is The Old Pay Office safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this restaurant to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Old Pay Office last inspected?
The Old Pay Office was last inspected on 2 September 2025, 10 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 Old Pay Office?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", 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 The Old Pay Office compare to other places in Durham?
75% of the 4,133 rated food businesses in Durham hold the top rating of 5, while The Old Pay Office holds a 4. 684 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Durham Council inspects The Old Pay Office 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 Old Pay Office 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 Old Pay Office is one of 35 rated food businesses in Easington Colliery. See every hygiene rating in Easington Colliery →
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 →