Gardens Care Home food hygiene rating
Caring Premises · Darlington
Gardens Care Home holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the care premises met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
The rating dates from 4 December 2025, 7 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: Pondfield Close, Darlington, DL3 8LH
How it compares in Darlington
That puts Gardens Care Home among the 755 places in Darlington holding top marks, 90% 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 | 755 | 90% | ← Gardens Care Home | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 48 | 6% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 19 | 2% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 7 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 6 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 79 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 Gardens Care Home 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 Gardens Care Home, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acorn Care (UK) Ltd Caring Premises | 272 yards away | 5 - Very good | 28 April 2026 |
| Carmel College School/college/university | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 3 October 2025 |
| Co-op Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 February 2026 |
| Blackwell Store Retailers - other | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 July 2024 |
| Baydale Beck Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 March 2026 |
| Blackwell Grange Hotel Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 17 June 2025 |
| Auton Caring Premises | 1.0 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 January 2023 |
| Clervaux Life Caring Premises | 1.0 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 December 2023 |
Questions about Gardens Care Home
What is Gardens Care Home's food hygiene rating?
Gardens Care Home has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Darlington Council on 4 December 2025.
Is Gardens Care Home 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 care premises to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was Gardens Care Home last inspected?
Gardens Care Home was last inspected on 4 December 2025, 7 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Darlington Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Gardens Care Home?
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 Gardens Care Home compare to other places in Darlington?
90% of the 836 rated food businesses in Darlington hold the top rating of 5, and Gardens Care Home is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Darlington Council inspects Gardens Care Home 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 Gardens Care Home and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Darlington inspects and rates 915 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Darlington →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.darlington.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 →