3

The Duchess of Hamilton/Hornblowers food hygiene rating

Pub/bar/nightclub · Wirral

The Duchess of Hamilton/Hornblowers holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The pub met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.

The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory

The rating dates from 25 March 2024, more than 2 years ago. A lot can change in a kitchen in that time, and a rating this old says more about the business then than now. Councils prioritise re-inspecting higher-risk premises, so a long gap often means the business is considered low-risk.

Address: 22 - 26 Market Street, Birkenhead, CH41 5ER

How it compares in Wirral

In Wirral, 72% of rated places manage a 5, so The Duchess of Hamilton/Hornblowers sits behind roughly 1,962 nearby businesses. 8% of the borough shares its 3.

Every rated food business in Wirral
5 out of 5 1,596 72%
4 out of 5 366 17%
3 out of 5 177 8% ← The Duchess of Hamilton/Hornblowers
2 out of 5 36 2%
1 out of 5 27 1%
0 out of 5 5 <1%

A further 113 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 Duchess of Hamilton/Hornblowers 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 Duchess of Hamilton/Hornblowers, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Alley Cats Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 212 yards away 5 - Very good 21 July 2025
B & M Store Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 8 June 2026
Adams + Russell Distributors/Transporters 0.5 miles away 5 - Very good 16 October 2025
ASDA Green Lane Express Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets 0.5 miles away 5 - Very good 27 July 2023
@ 142 Bar & Bistro, Lauries Centre Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 0.6 miles away 5 - Very good 2 June 2025
ASDA Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets 0.6 miles away 5 - Very good 15 April 2025
Asda Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 0.6 miles away 5 - Very good 19 January 2026
Asda Express Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets 0.8 miles away 5 - Very good 27 July 2023

Questions about The Duchess of Hamilton/Hornblowers

What is The Duchess of Hamilton/Hornblowers's food hygiene rating?

The Duchess of Hamilton/Hornblowers has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Wirral Council on 25 March 2024.

Is The Duchess of Hamilton/Hornblowers safe to eat at?

A 3 means the pub met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.

When was The Duchess of Hamilton/Hornblowers last inspected?

The Duchess of Hamilton/Hornblowers was last inspected on 25 March 2024, more than 2 years ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Wirral Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at The Duchess of Hamilton/Hornblowers?

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

How does The Duchess of Hamilton/Hornblowers compare to other places in Wirral?

72% of the 2,207 rated food businesses in Wirral hold the top rating of 5, while The Duchess of Hamilton/Hornblowers holds a 3. 177 places in the area share that rating.

Who decides the rating?

Wirral Council inspects The Duchess of Hamilton/Hornblowers 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 Duchess of Hamilton/Hornblowers and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

The Duchess of Hamilton/Hornblowers is one of 283 rated food businesses in Birkenhead. See every hygiene rating in Birkenhead

Wirral inspects and rates 2,320 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Wirral

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