El Castillo food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Durham
El Castillo 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 3 April 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: 2-3 Market Place, Bishop Auckland, DL14 7NJ
How it compares in Durham
That puts El Castillo among the 3,087 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.
| 5 out of 5 | 3,087 | 75% | ← El Castillo | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 682 | 17% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 286 | 7% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 51 | 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 Very good
- 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 El Castillo 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 El Castillo, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breaking Bread Kitchen and Bakehouse Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 66 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 March 2026 |
| Bishop Auckland Town Hall Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 78 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 December 2024 |
| Fifteas Vintage Tearoom Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 91 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 October 2024 |
| Greggs plc Retailers - other | 128 yards away | 5 - Very good | 13 May 2026 |
| Eiledon Books Retailers - other | 130 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 January 2026 |
| McIntyre Centre Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 131 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 February 2025 |
| Heron Foods Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 155 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 July 2025 |
| News On The Street - Premier Retailers - other | 162 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 January 2025 |
Questions about El Castillo
What is El Castillo's food hygiene rating?
El Castillo has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Durham Council on 3 April 2025.
Is El Castillo 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 El Castillo last inspected?
El Castillo was last inspected on 3 April 2025, 15 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 El Castillo?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very 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 El Castillo compare to other places in Durham?
75% of the 4,133 rated food businesses in Durham hold the top rating of 5, and El Castillo is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Durham Council inspects El Castillo 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 El Castillo and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
El Castillo is one of 179 rated food businesses in Bishop Auckland. See every hygiene rating in Bishop Auckland →
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 →