Royal Chef food hygiene rating
Takeaway/sandwich shop · Durham
Royal Chef holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the takeaway are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
This is a fresh result: Royal Chef was inspected on 19 May 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.
Address: Flat 53 Manor Road, St Helen Auckland, DL14 9ER
How it compares in Durham
In Durham, 75% of rated places manage a 5, so Royal Chef 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% | ← Royal Chef | |
| 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 Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety Good
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 Royal Chef 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 Royal Chef, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marton Care Homes - St Helens Care Home Caring Premises | 281 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 October 2025 |
| Oak Leaf Community Project CIC Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 August 2023 |
| Ivy Cottage Farms Ltd Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 January 2025 |
| Auck House B and B Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 30 January 2019 |
| Devonshire House Care Home Caring Premises | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 September 2025 |
| Lucky 8 Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 28 May 2025 |
| Costa Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 20 October 2025 |
| Marks and Spencer Simply Food Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 May 2024 |
Questions about Royal Chef
What is Royal Chef's food hygiene rating?
Royal Chef has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Durham Council on 19 May 2026.
Is Royal Chef 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 takeaway to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was Royal Chef last inspected?
Royal Chef was last inspected on 19 May 2026, a month 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 Royal Chef?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Royal Chef compare to other places in Durham?
75% of the 4,133 rated food businesses in Durham hold the top rating of 5, while Royal Chef holds a 4. 684 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Durham Council inspects Royal Chef 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 Royal Chef and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Royal Chef is one of 36 rated food businesses in St Helen Auckland. See every hygiene rating in St Helen Auckland →
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 →