McFarlanes Family Butchers food hygiene rating
Manufacturers/packers · Durham
McFarlanes Family Butchers holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the food producer 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 28 October 2025, 8 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: 37 Horsemarket, Barnard Castle, DL12 8LX
How it compares in Durham
In Durham, 75% of rated places manage a 5, so McFarlanes Family Butchers sits behind roughly 3,087 nearby businesses. 17% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 3,087 | 75% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 683 | 17% | ← McFarlanes Family Butchers | |
| 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 Generally satisfactory
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Generally satisfactory
- How well they manage food safety Very 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 McFarlanes Family Butchers 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 McFarlanes Family Butchers, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halls Bakery Retailers - other | 8 yards away | 4 - Good | 2 December 2025 |
| No3 Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 12 yards away | Awaiting inspection | |
| The Mad Hatter Kitchen and Tearoom Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 27 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 June 2025 |
| Three Horse Shoes Hotel Other catering premises | 29 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 May 2025 |
| Wm Peat Deli and Bakery Retailers - other | 31 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 January 2026 |
| Boyes Retailers - other | 44 yards away | Exempt | |
| Wm Peat Butchers Retailers - other | 45 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 August 2025 |
| Valentine's Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 46 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 September 2024 |
Questions about McFarlanes Family Butchers
What is McFarlanes Family Butchers's food hygiene rating?
McFarlanes Family Butchers has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Durham Council on 28 October 2025.
Is McFarlanes Family Butchers 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 food producer to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was McFarlanes Family Butchers last inspected?
McFarlanes Family Butchers was last inspected on 28 October 2025, 8 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 McFarlanes Family Butchers?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does McFarlanes Family Butchers compare to other places in Durham?
75% of the 4,133 rated food businesses in Durham hold the top rating of 5, while McFarlanes Family Butchers holds a 4. 683 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Durham Council inspects McFarlanes Family Butchers 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 McFarlanes Family Butchers and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
McFarlanes Family Butchers is one of 107 rated food businesses in Barnard Castle. See every hygiene rating in Barnard Castle →
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 →