Sophies Choice food hygiene rating
Mobile caterer · Middlesbrough
Sophies Choice holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The mobile caterer met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 31 January 2026, 5 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.
How it compares in Middlesbrough
In Middlesbrough, 84% of rated places manage a 5, so Sophies Choice sits behind roughly 949 nearby businesses. 4% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 868 | 84% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 81 | 8% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 42 | 4% | ← Sophies Choice | |
| 2 out of 5 | 23 | 2% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 13 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 3 | <1% |
A further 133 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 Generally satisfactory
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 Sophies Choice 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.
Questions about Sophies Choice
What is Sophies Choice's food hygiene rating?
Sophies Choice has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Middlesbrough Council on 31 January 2026.
Is Sophies Choice safe to eat at?
A 3 means the mobile caterer met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was Sophies Choice last inspected?
Sophies Choice was last inspected on 31 January 2026, 5 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Middlesbrough Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Sophies Choice?
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 "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Sophies Choice compare to other places in Middlesbrough?
84% of the 1,030 rated food businesses in Middlesbrough hold the top rating of 5, while Sophies Choice holds a 3. 42 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Middlesbrough Council inspects Sophies Choice 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 Sophies Choice and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Middlesbrough inspects and rates 1,163 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Middlesbrough →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.middlesbrough.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 →