Willows Bakehouse Ltd food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Durham
Willows Bakehouse Ltd holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the shop 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 5 August 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: 133 Front Street, Chester-le-Street, DH3 3BL
How it compares in Durham
In Durham, 75% of rated places manage a 5, so Willows Bakehouse Ltd sits behind roughly 3,086 nearby businesses. 17% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 3,086 | 75% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 684 | 17% | ← Willows Bakehouse Ltd | |
| 3 out of 5 | 286 | 7% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 50 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 25 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 512 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 Willows Bakehouse Ltd 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 Willows Bakehouse Ltd, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heron Foods Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 61 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 September 2025 |
| Citrones Cafe Bar Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 67 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 July 2025 |
| Bon Bons Retailers - other | 85 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 August 2022 |
| Fuel Coffeeworks Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 99 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 August 2025 |
| Lambton Arms Hotel Pub/bar/nightclub | 155 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 August 2025 |
| Chesters Pub/bar/nightclub | 187 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 April 2026 |
| Da-Zero Italian LTD Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 196 yards away | 5 - Very good | 31 July 2025 |
| J Noble & Sons Ltd Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 198 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 June 2025 |
Questions about Willows Bakehouse Ltd
What is Willows Bakehouse Ltd's food hygiene rating?
Willows Bakehouse Ltd has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Durham Council on 5 August 2025.
Is Willows Bakehouse Ltd 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 shop to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was Willows Bakehouse Ltd last inspected?
Willows Bakehouse Ltd was last inspected on 5 August 2025, 11 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 Willows Bakehouse Ltd?
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 Willows Bakehouse Ltd compare to other places in Durham?
75% of the 4,133 rated food businesses in Durham hold the top rating of 5, while Willows Bakehouse Ltd holds a 4. 684 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Durham Council inspects Willows Bakehouse Ltd 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 Willows Bakehouse Ltd 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 4,645 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 →