Sweet & Swirl food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Durham
Sweet & Swirl holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the restaurant met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
This is a fresh result: Sweet & Swirl was inspected on 27 June 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.
Address: 122 Front Street, Chester-le-Street, DH3 3BA
How it compares in Durham
That puts Sweet & Swirl 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% | ← Sweet & Swirl | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 682 | 17% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 286 | 7% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 51 | 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 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 Sweet & Swirl 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 Sweet & Swirl, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bon Bons Retailers - other | 5 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 August 2022 |
| Citrones Cafe Bar Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 28 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 July 2025 |
| Heron Foods Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 39 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 September 2025 |
| Lambton Arms Hotel Pub/bar/nightclub | 79 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 August 2025 |
| Da-Zero Italian LTD Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 108 yards away | 5 - Very good | 31 July 2025 |
| J Noble & Sons Ltd Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 118 yards away | 5 - Very good | 17 June 2025 |
| Cooplands Retailers - other | 128 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 September 2024 |
| 5 A Day Retailers - other | 139 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 May 2019 |
Questions about Sweet & Swirl
What is Sweet & Swirl's food hygiene rating?
Sweet & Swirl has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Durham Council on 27 June 2026.
Is Sweet & Swirl 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 restaurant to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was Sweet & Swirl last inspected?
Sweet & Swirl was last inspected on 27 June 2026, within the last month. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Durham Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Sweet & Swirl?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very 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 Sweet & Swirl compare to other places in Durham?
75% of the 4,133 rated food businesses in Durham hold the top rating of 5, and Sweet & Swirl is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Durham Council inspects Sweet & Swirl 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 Sweet & Swirl 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 →