Kitchen 38 food hygiene rating
Takeaway/sandwich shop · Durham
Kitchen 38 holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The takeaway met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 9 December 2025, 7 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: 38 North Road, Durham, DH1 4SE
How it compares in Durham
In Durham, 75% of rated places manage a 5, so Kitchen 38 sits behind roughly 3,764 nearby businesses. 7% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 3,088 | 75% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 676 | 16% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 284 | 7% | ← Kitchen 38 | |
| 2 out of 5 | 50 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 22 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 518 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 Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety Generally satisfactory
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 Kitchen 38 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 Kitchen 38, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dominos Durham Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 26 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 April 2026 |
| Durham University - College of St Hild & St Bede Pub/bar/nightclub | 152 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 April 2025 |
| Aroma Rise Retailers - other | 161 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 September 2019 |
| 3 of Cups Durham Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 194 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 February 2025 |
| Costa Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 198 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 March 2025 |
| Costa Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 223 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 July 2025 |
| Babylon Pub/bar/nightclub | 275 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 September 2022 |
| Crush Pub/bar/nightclub | 301 yards away | 5 - Very good | 3 October 2024 |
Questions about Kitchen 38
What is Kitchen 38's food hygiene rating?
Kitchen 38 has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Durham Council on 9 December 2025.
Is Kitchen 38 safe to eat at?
A 3 means the takeaway met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was Kitchen 38 last inspected?
Kitchen 38 was last inspected on 9 December 2025, 7 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 Kitchen 38?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Kitchen 38 compare to other places in Durham?
75% of the 4,122 rated food businesses in Durham hold the top rating of 5, while Kitchen 38 holds a 3. 284 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Durham Council inspects Kitchen 38 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 Kitchen 38 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 4,640 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 →