Heron Foods food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Hartlepool
Heron Foods holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the shop 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 13 October 2025, 9 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: 33-34 Middleton Grange Centre, Hartlepool, TS24 7RY
How it compares in Hartlepool
In Hartlepool, 91% of rated places manage a 5, so Heron Foods sits behind roughly 672 nearby businesses. 7% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 672 | 91% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 49 | 7% | ← Heron Foods | |
| 3 out of 5 | 18 | 2% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 2 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 0 | 0% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 30 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 Heron Foods 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 Heron Foods, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boots UK Ltd Retailers - other | 65 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 June 2025 |
| Boyes Retailers - other | 91 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 December 2025 |
| Costa Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 130 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 November 2024 |
| Cauldron of Colours Retailers - other | 197 yards away | 5 - Very good | 6 February 2024 |
| Community Hub Central Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 202 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 June 2026 |
| Craft Burger Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 202 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 October 2025 |
| Bar One Pub/bar/nightclub | 220 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 June 2023 |
| Boxx Retailers - other | 259 yards away | 5 - Very good | 20 May 2026 |
Questions about Heron Foods
What is Heron Foods's food hygiene rating?
Heron Foods has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Hartlepool Council on 13 October 2025.
Is Heron Foods 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 shop to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was Heron Foods last inspected?
Heron Foods was last inspected on 13 October 2025, 9 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Hartlepool Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Heron Foods?
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 Heron Foods compare to other places in Hartlepool?
91% of the 741 rated food businesses in Hartlepool hold the top rating of 5, while Heron Foods holds a 4. 49 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Hartlepool Council inspects Heron Foods 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 Heron Foods and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Hartlepool inspects and rates 771 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Hartlepool →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.hartlepool.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 →