Birch Care Ltd - Abigail Lodge food hygiene rating
Caring Premises · Durham
Birch Care Ltd - Abigail Lodge holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the care premises are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 19 August 2025, 10 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: Abigail Lodge Gloucester Road, Delves Lane, DH8 7NJ
How it compares in Durham
In Durham, 75% of rated places manage a 5, so Birch Care Ltd - Abigail Lodge sits behind roughly 3,088 nearby businesses. 16% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 3,088 | 75% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 676 | 16% | ← Birch Care Ltd - Abigail Lodge | |
| 3 out of 5 | 284 | 7% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 50 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 22 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 518 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 Generally satisfactory
- 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 Birch Care Ltd - Abigail Lodge 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.
Questions about Birch Care Ltd - Abigail Lodge
What is Birch Care Ltd - Abigail Lodge's food hygiene rating?
Birch Care Ltd - Abigail Lodge has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Durham Council on 19 August 2025.
Is Birch Care Ltd - Abigail Lodge safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this care premises to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was Birch Care Ltd - Abigail Lodge last inspected?
Birch Care Ltd - Abigail Lodge was last inspected on 19 August 2025, 10 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 Birch Care Ltd - Abigail Lodge?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Birch Care Ltd - Abigail Lodge compare to other places in Durham?
75% of the 4,122 rated food businesses in Durham hold the top rating of 5, while Birch Care Ltd - Abigail Lodge holds a 4. 676 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Durham Council inspects Birch Care Ltd - Abigail Lodge 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 Birch Care Ltd - Abigail Lodge and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Durham inspects and rates 4,640 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 →