The Village Inn food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Durham
The Village Inn holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the pub are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 18 February 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: The Village Inn Richardson Place, Kirk Merrington, DL16 7JQ
How it compares in Durham
In Durham, 75% of rated places manage a 5, so The Village Inn sits behind roughly 3,086 nearby businesses. 17% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 3,086 | 75% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 684 | 17% | ← The Village Inn | |
| 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
- Hygienic food handling Good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Good
- How well they manage food safety Generally satisfactory
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 Village Inn 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 Village Inn, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kirk Merrington Community Centre Other catering premises | 180 yards away | 5 - Very good | 19 November 2021 |
| Resolve (Care Northern) Ltd Caring Premises | 372 yards away | 5 - Very good | 29 September 2025 |
| Leeholme WMC Pub/bar/nightclub | 1.1 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 March 2019 |
| Just Grass Angus Retailers - other | 1.2 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 June 2018 |
| Rake's Sweet Treats Takeaway/sandwich shop | 1.2 miles away | 5 - Very good | 26 June 2024 |
| Sycamore Lodge Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 1.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 4 June 2025 |
| One Stop Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 1.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 September 2022 |
| Denehurst Nursing Home Caring Premises | 1.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 May 2026 |
Questions about The Village Inn
What is The Village Inn's food hygiene rating?
The Village Inn has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Durham Council on 18 February 2025.
Is The Village Inn safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this pub to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Village Inn last inspected?
The Village Inn was last inspected on 18 February 2025, 16 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 Village Inn?
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 "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Village Inn compare to other places in Durham?
75% of the 4,133 rated food businesses in Durham hold the top rating of 5, while The Village Inn holds a 4. 684 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Durham Council inspects The Village Inn 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 Village Inn and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
Free, for three businesses, forever. No password, we send you a link. How rating alerts work →
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 →