5

Garden Lodge food hygiene rating

Caring Premises · Durham

Garden Lodge holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the care premises met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.

The rating: 5 - Very good

The rating dates from 1 August 2025, 11 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: Garden Lodge Maureen Terrace, Seaham, SR7 7SN

How it compares in Durham

That puts Garden Lodge among the 3,087 places in Durham holding top marks, 75% 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 Durham
5 out of 5 3,087 75% ← Garden Lodge
4 out of 5 683 17%
3 out of 5 286 7%
2 out of 5 50 1%
1 out of 5 25 1%
0 out of 5 2 <1%

A further 512 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 Garden Lodge 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 Garden Lodge, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Orchard House Caring Premises 21 yards away 5 - Very good 19 September 2025
Island Social Club Pub/bar/nightclub 377 yards away 5 - Very good 10 August 2019
Little Waves Day Nursery Caring Premises 398 yards away 5 - Very good 12 December 2025
Hong Kong Rose Takeaway/sandwich shop 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 23 January 2025
Cipolla Pizza Takeaway/sandwich shop 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 7 July 2025
Angus Butchers Manufacturers/packers 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 14 October 2025
Heron Foods Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 30 March 2026
Seaham Chippy Takeaway/sandwich shop 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 19 June 2024

Questions about Garden Lodge

What is Garden Lodge's food hygiene rating?

Garden Lodge has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Durham Council on 1 August 2025.

Is Garden Lodge 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 care premises to be very good, the top end of the scale.

When was Garden Lodge last inspected?

Garden Lodge was last inspected on 1 August 2025, 11 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Durham Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at Garden Lodge?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "very good", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.

How does Garden Lodge compare to other places in Durham?

75% of the 4,133 rated food businesses in Durham hold the top rating of 5, and Garden Lodge is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Durham Council inspects Garden Lodge 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 Garden Lodge and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

Garden Lodge is one of 186 rated food businesses in Seaham. See every hygiene rating in Seaham

Durham inspects and rates 4,645 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Durham

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