5

The Black & Grey food hygiene rating

Pub/bar/nightclub · Northumberland

The Black & Grey holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the pub met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 14 March 2025, 16 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: 80 Newgate Street, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 1BU

How it compares in Northumberland

That puts The Black & Grey among the 2,778 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 2,778 90% ← The Black & Grey
4 out of 5 213 7%
3 out of 5 68 2%
2 out of 5 8 <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 The Black & Grey 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 The Black & Grey, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Cafe Vault Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 169 yards away 5 - Very good 10 March 2026
Morpeth Conservative & Unionist Club Pub/bar/nightclub 169 yards away 5 - Very good 15 November 2024
Best One Retailers - other 176 yards away 5 - Very good 16 March 2026
Cafe Des Amis Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 176 yards away 5 - Very good 26 May 2026
R Martin Butchers Retailers - other 254 yards away 5 - Very good 29 July 2025
Pink Lane Bakery Limited Retailers - other 264 yards away 5 - Very good 2 December 2025
Adam's Bakery - Newgate Street Retailers - other 272 yards away 5 - Very good 27 June 2025
Keenan's - Morpeth Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 272 yards away 5 - Very good 9 May 2025

Questions about The Black & Grey

What is The Black & Grey's food hygiene rating?

The Black & Grey has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Northumberland Council on 14 March 2025.

Is The Black & Grey 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 pub to be very good, the top end of the scale.

When was The Black & Grey last inspected?

The Black & Grey was last inspected on 14 March 2025, 16 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 The Black & Grey?

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 The Black & Grey compare to other places in Northumberland?

90% of the 3,077 rated food businesses in Northumberland hold the top rating of 5, and The Black & Grey is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Northumberland Council inspects The Black & Grey 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 The Black & Grey and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

The Black & Grey is one of 158 rated food businesses in Morpeth. See every hygiene rating in Morpeth

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 →