Shahi Chai food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Sunderland
Shahi Chai 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 29 May 2025, 13 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: 121 Chester Road, Sunderland, SR4 7HG
How it compares in Sunderland
In Sunderland, 84% of rated places manage a 5, so Shahi Chai sits behind roughly 1,827 nearby businesses. 4% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,634 | 84% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 193 | 10% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 74 | 4% | ← Shahi Chai | |
| 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 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 Shahi Chai 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 Shahi Chai, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aldi Stores Limited Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 284 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 January 2020 |
| Avenues Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 20 January 2025 |
| Afro-Naija Supermart Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 January 2025 |
| Ashlea Lodge Res. Care Home Caring Premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 April 2026 |
| Argyle House School School/college/university | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 February 2026 |
| Barnes Infant Academy School/college/university | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 24 September 2025 |
| Barnes Junior Wraparound Care School/college/university | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 3 December 2025 |
| Adda Sunderland Other catering premises | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 November 2025 |
Questions about Shahi Chai
What is Shahi Chai's food hygiene rating?
Shahi Chai has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Sunderland Council on 29 May 2025.
Is Shahi Chai 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 Shahi Chai last inspected?
Shahi Chai was last inspected on 29 May 2025, 13 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 Shahi Chai?
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 Shahi Chai compare to other places in Sunderland?
84% of the 1,946 rated food businesses in Sunderland hold the top rating of 5, while Shahi Chai holds a 3. 74 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Sunderland Council inspects Shahi Chai 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 Shahi Chai and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
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 →