5

McDonalds food hygiene rating

Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Darlington

McDonalds 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 28 August 2024, 22 months ago. That is getting on for the longest gap councils usually leave, so the score may not reflect how the business is run today.

Address: McDonald's, Morton Park Way, Darlington, DL1 4PJ

How it compares in Darlington

That puts McDonalds among the 755 places in Darlington holding top marks, 90% 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.

Every rated food business in Darlington
5 out of 5 755 90% ← McDonalds
4 out of 5 48 6%
3 out of 5 19 2%
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

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 McDonalds 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 McDonalds, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Costa Coffee Drive Thru Takeaway/sandwich shop 0.5 miles away 5 - Very good 7 January 2026
Aldi Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets 0.9 miles away 5 - Very good 8 November 2023
Booker Retailers - other 1.0 miles away 5 - Very good 16 March 2026

Questions about McDonalds

What is McDonalds's food hygiene rating?

McDonalds has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Darlington Council on 28 August 2024.

Is McDonalds 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 McDonalds last inspected?

McDonalds was last inspected on 28 August 2024, 22 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 McDonalds?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "very 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 McDonalds compare to other places in Darlington?

90% of the 836 rated food businesses in Darlington hold the top rating of 5, and McDonalds is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Darlington Council inspects McDonalds 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 McDonalds 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 →