5

Shire Gate Cafe food hygiene rating

Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Northumberland

Shire Gate Cafe 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

The rating dates from 26 November 2024, 19 months ago. That is getting on for the longest gap councils usually leave, so the score may not reflect how the business is run today.

Address: 4 Cattle Market, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 1LS

How it compares in Northumberland

That puts Shire Gate Cafe among the 2,779 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 2,779 90% ← Shire Gate Cafe
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 397 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 Shire Gate Cafe 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 Shire Gate Cafe, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Cranstons Ltd Retailers - other 43 yards away 5 - Very good 2 December 2025
Greggs Retailers - other 55 yards away 5 - Very good 11 September 2024
Holland & Barrett Retailers - other 55 yards away 5 - Very good 19 February 2026
High Street Convenience Store Retailers - other 60 yards away 5 - Very good 16 May 2023
Buongiorno Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 61 yards away 5 - Very good 21 August 2024
Golden Dragon Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 67 yards away 5 - Very good 20 February 2025
Oxfam Retailers - other 67 yards away 5 - Very good 10 March 2026
Oxfam Bookshop Retailers - other 67 yards away 5 - Very good 10 March 2026

Questions about Shire Gate Cafe

What is Shire Gate Cafe's food hygiene rating?

Shire Gate Cafe has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Northumberland Council on 26 November 2024.

Is Shire Gate Cafe 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 Shire Gate Cafe last inspected?

Shire Gate Cafe was last inspected on 26 November 2024, 19 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 Shire Gate Cafe?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "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 Shire Gate Cafe compare to other places in Northumberland?

90% of the 3,077 rated food businesses in Northumberland hold the top rating of 5, and Shire Gate Cafe is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Northumberland Council inspects Shire Gate Cafe 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 Shire Gate Cafe and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

Shire Gate Cafe is one of 169 rated food businesses in Hexham. See every hygiene rating in Hexham

Northumberland inspects and rates 3,474 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 →