5

Heron Foods food hygiene rating

Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets · Northumberland

Heron Foods holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the supermarket met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 1 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: 8a Front Street, Prudhoe, Northumberland, NE42 5HJ

How it compares in Northumberland

That puts Heron Foods among the 2,775 places in Northumberland 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.

Every rated food business in Northumberland
5 out of 5 2,775 90% ← Heron Foods
4 out of 5 214 7%
3 out of 5 67 2%
2 out of 5 7 <1%
1 out of 5 8 <1%
0 out of 5 2 <1%

A further 393 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.

What the inspector found

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
Prudhoe & District United Services Club Pub/bar/nightclub at this address 5 - Very good 16 August 2023
Prudhoe Snooker Club Pub/bar/nightclub at this address 5 - Very good 21 February 2019
Cafe Nova Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 78 yards away 5 - Very good 2 October 2025
Gloria Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 78 yards away 5 - Very good 21 May 2026
Greggs Retailers - other 78 yards away 5 - Very good 20 September 2024
New Lotus House Takeaway/sandwich shop 78 yards away 5 - Very good 7 March 2025
Co-operative Group Food Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets 137 yards away 5 - Very good 2 March 2026
No 22 Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 150 yards away 5 - Very good 9 September 2025

Questions about Heron Foods

What is Heron Foods's food hygiene rating?

Heron Foods has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Northumberland Council on 1 October 2025.

Is Heron Foods 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 supermarket to be very good, the top end of the scale.

When was Heron Foods last inspected?

Heron Foods was last inspected on 1 October 2025, 9 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Northumberland Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at Heron Foods?

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 "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.

How does Heron Foods compare to other places in Northumberland?

90% of the 3,073 rated food businesses in Northumberland hold the top rating of 5, and Heron Foods is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Northumberland 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

Heron Foods is one of 64 rated food businesses in Prudhoe. See every hygiene rating in Prudhoe

Northumberland inspects and rates 3,466 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Northumberland

The official record is held by the council: http://www.northumberland.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 →