The Old Icecream Shop and Kings Cafe food hygiene rating
Other catering premises · Durham
The Old Icecream Shop and Kings Cafe holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the business met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
The rating dates from 6 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: 1 Station Road, Lanchester, DH7 0EX
How it compares in Durham
That puts The Old Icecream Shop and Kings Cafe among the 3,087 places in Durham holding top marks, 75% 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 | 3,087 | 75% | ← The Old Icecream Shop and Kings Cafe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 683 | 17% | ||
| 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 Good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Good
- 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 The Old Icecream Shop and Kings Cafe 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 The Old Icecream Shop and Kings Cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Kings Head Pub/bar/nightclub | 42 yards away | 4 - Good | 7 April 2026 |
| Ravello's Ristorante Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 65 yards away | 5 - Very good | 13 September 2025 |
| Ravellos Italian Delicatessen Limited Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 65 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 September 2025 |
| Lanchester Country Basket Retailers - other | 137 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 March 2024 |
| Spar Retailers - other | 149 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 November 2025 |
| Golden Valley Takeaway/sandwich shop | 156 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 November 2023 |
| J Hanley and Sons Ltd Manufacturers/packers | 160 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 February 2026 |
| Lanchester Pizzeria Takeaway/sandwich shop | 163 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 April 2024 |
Questions about The Old Icecream Shop and Kings Cafe
What is The Old Icecream Shop and Kings Cafe's food hygiene rating?
The Old Icecream Shop and Kings Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Durham Council on 6 August 2025.
Is The Old Icecream Shop and Kings Cafe 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 business to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Old Icecream Shop and Kings Cafe last inspected?
The Old Icecream Shop and Kings Cafe was last inspected on 6 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 The Old Icecream Shop and Kings Cafe?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Old Icecream Shop and Kings Cafe compare to other places in Durham?
75% of the 4,133 rated food businesses in Durham hold the top rating of 5, and The Old Icecream Shop and Kings Cafe is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Durham Council inspects The Old Icecream Shop and Kings Cafe 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 The Old Icecream Shop and Kings Cafe and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Old Icecream Shop and Kings Cafe is one of 31 rated food businesses in Lanchester. See every hygiene rating in Lanchester →
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 →