Rainbow Scoops food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Darlington
Rainbow Scoops holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The restaurant 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 16 April 2025, 14 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: 33 Tubwell Row, Darlington, DL1 1NU
How it compares in Darlington
In Darlington, 90% of rated places manage a 5, so Rainbow Scoops sits behind roughly 803 nearby businesses. 2% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 755 | 90% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 48 | 6% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 19 | 2% | ← Rainbow Scoops | |
| 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
- 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 Rainbow Scoops 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 Rainbow Scoops, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boot And Shoe Pub/bar/nightclub | 67 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 February 2025 |
| Bodega Delizia Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 88 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 April 2025 |
| Bronuts Bakes \& Beyond Other catering premises | 88 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 December 2024 |
| Banqo Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 88 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 December 2025 |
| Cafe W Retailers - other | 88 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 November 2025 |
| Bubble \& Cone Retailers - other | 101 yards away | 5 - Very good | 3 May 2024 |
| Blair And Sons Retailers - other | 103 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 February 2026 |
| Bright Post House Store Retailers - other | 169 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 March 2026 |
Questions about Rainbow Scoops
What is Rainbow Scoops's food hygiene rating?
Rainbow Scoops has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Darlington Council on 16 April 2025.
Is Rainbow Scoops safe to eat at?
A 3 means the restaurant 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 Rainbow Scoops last inspected?
Rainbow Scoops was last inspected on 16 April 2025, 14 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 Rainbow Scoops?
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 Rainbow Scoops compare to other places in Darlington?
90% of the 836 rated food businesses in Darlington hold the top rating of 5, while Rainbow Scoops holds a 3. 19 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Darlington Council inspects Rainbow Scoops 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 Rainbow Scoops and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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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 →