The Bengal Merchant food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Durham
The Bengal Merchant holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the restaurant 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 26 March 2026, 3 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: 7 the Bank, Barnard Castle, DL12 8PH
How it compares in Durham
In Durham, 75% of rated places manage a 5, so The Bengal Merchant 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% | ← The Bengal Merchant | |
| 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 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 The Bengal Merchant 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 Bengal Merchant, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yasho's Kitchen Takeaway/sandwich shop | 12 yards away | Awaiting inspection | |
| NOON Living Retailers - other | 18 yards away | Awaiting inspection | |
| The Butty Market Takeaway/sandwich shop | 29 yards away | Awaiting inspection | |
| Artisan Corner Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 30 yards away | 4 - Good | 10 July 2025 |
| Castle Pizza Takeaway/sandwich shop | 44 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 November 2023 |
| The Old Well Inn Pub/bar/nightclub | 48 yards away | 5 - Very good | 5 February 2025 |
| Moments Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 53 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 May 2026 |
| The Music Studio Retailers - other | 75 yards away | Exempt |
Questions about The Bengal Merchant
What is The Bengal Merchant's food hygiene rating?
The Bengal Merchant has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Durham Council on 26 March 2026.
Is The Bengal Merchant 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 restaurant to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Bengal Merchant last inspected?
The Bengal Merchant was last inspected on 26 March 2026, 3 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 Bengal Merchant?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "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 The Bengal Merchant compare to other places in Durham?
75% of the 4,133 rated food businesses in Durham hold the top rating of 5, while The Bengal Merchant holds a 4. 684 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Durham Council inspects The Bengal Merchant 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 Bengal Merchant 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
The Bengal Merchant is one of 107 rated food businesses in Barnard Castle. See every hygiene rating in Barnard Castle →
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 →