The Honest Boy food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Sunderland
The Honest Boy 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 22 September 2025, 9 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: Knoulberry Road, Blackfell, Washington, NE37 1LL
How it compares in Sunderland
That puts The Honest Boy among the 1,634 places in Sunderland holding top marks, 84% 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 | 1,634 | 84% | ← The Honest Boy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 193 | 10% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 74 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 20 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 23 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 365 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Good
- How well they manage food safety Very 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 Honest Boy 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 Honest Boy, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackfell Primary School School/college/university | 73 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 May 2025 |
| Blackfell Store Retailers - other | 125 yards away | 5 - Very good | 27 March 2019 |
| Aldi Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 July 2017 |
| Coffee & Co Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 24 November 2025 |
| Cracked Bean Roastery Other catering premises | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 16 October 2024 |
| Albany Discount Stores Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 January 2025 |
| Castle Kindergarten Caring Premises | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 27 May 2026 |
| A M F Bowling Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 28 September 2024 |
Questions about The Honest Boy
What is The Honest Boy's food hygiene rating?
The Honest Boy has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Sunderland Council on 22 September 2025.
Is The Honest Boy 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 Honest Boy last inspected?
The Honest Boy was last inspected on 22 September 2025, 9 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Sunderland Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Honest Boy?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "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 Honest Boy compare to other places in Sunderland?
84% of the 1,946 rated food businesses in Sunderland hold the top rating of 5, and The Honest Boy is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Sunderland Council inspects The Honest Boy 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 Honest Boy and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
Free, for three businesses, forever. No password, we send you a link. How rating alerts work →
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Honest Boy is one of 287 rated food businesses in Washington. See every hygiene rating in Washington →
Sunderland inspects and rates 2,311 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Sunderland →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.sunderland.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 →