5

The Brown Horse Hotel food hygiene rating

Pub/bar/nightclub · Durham

The Brown Horse Hotel 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 3 February 2025, 17 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: Brown Horse Inn, High Stoop, DL13 4HJ

How it compares in Durham

That puts The Brown Horse Hotel 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% ← The Brown Horse Hotel
4 out of 5 682 17%
3 out of 5 286 7%
2 out of 5 51 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 The Brown Horse Hotel 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 Brown Horse Hotel, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Lifestyles Care & Support Caring Premises 0.3 miles away Exempt
Tow Law Pharmacy Retailers - other 1.1 miles away Exempt
Dans Castle Takeaway/sandwich shop 1.1 miles away 4 - Good 27 February 2025
Pizza Home Takeaway/sandwich shop 1.2 miles away 4 - Good 2 December 2025
Tow Law Community Centre Other catering premises 1.2 miles away 5 - Very good 19 June 2024
Castle Bank Care Home Caring Premises 1.2 miles away 5 - Very good 20 October 2025
J C Dobson (Butcher) Retailers - other 1.3 miles away 4 - Good 17 June 2025
The Newmarket Pub/bar/nightclub 1.3 miles away 5 - Very good 16 April 2025

Questions about The Brown Horse Hotel

What is The Brown Horse Hotel's food hygiene rating?

The Brown Horse Hotel has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Durham Council on 3 February 2025.

Is The Brown Horse Hotel 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 Brown Horse Hotel last inspected?

The Brown Horse Hotel was last inspected on 3 February 2025, 17 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 The Brown Horse Hotel?

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

How does The Brown Horse Hotel compare to other places in Durham?

75% of the 4,133 rated food businesses in Durham hold the top rating of 5, and The Brown Horse Hotel is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Durham Council inspects The Brown Horse Hotel 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 Brown Horse Hotel and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

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 →