Dicksons food hygiene rating
Takeaway/sandwich shop · Sunderland
Dicksons holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the takeaway met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
The rating dates from 15 July 2025, 11 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: 39 Westbourne Terrace, Houghton-le-Spring, DH4 4QU
How it compares in Sunderland
That puts Dicksons 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% | ← Dicksons | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 192 | 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 366 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 Very 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 Dicksons 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 Dicksons, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee Connect Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 109 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 January 2025 |
| Cooplands Retailers - other | 109 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 September 2024 |
| Co-Op Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 160 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 March 2019 |
| Fabio's Bistro Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 320 yards away | 5 - Very good | 23 April 2025 |
| Foodbank - St Johns Evangelical Church Retailers - other | 432 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 February 2026 |
| Barnwell Academy School/college/university | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 September 2024 |
| Barnwell Academy Breakfast And Afterschool Club School/college/university | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 January 2020 |
| Crispy Cod Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 October 2024 |
Questions about Dicksons
What is Dicksons's food hygiene rating?
Dicksons has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Sunderland Council on 15 July 2025.
Is Dicksons 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 takeaway to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was Dicksons last inspected?
Dicksons was last inspected on 15 July 2025, 11 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 Dicksons?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very 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 Dicksons compare to other places in Sunderland?
84% of the 1,945 rated food businesses in Sunderland hold the top rating of 5, and Dicksons is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Sunderland Council inspects Dicksons 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 Dicksons 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
Dicksons is one of 276 rated food businesses in Houghton-le-Spring. See every hygiene rating in Houghton-le-Spring →
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 →