Bowling Club food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · Sunderland
Bowling Club 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 14 May 2026, 2 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: Dairy Lane, Houghton-Le-Spring, DH4 5BH
How it compares in Sunderland
In Sunderland, 84% of rated places manage a 5, so Bowling Club sits behind roughly 1,827 nearby businesses. 4% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,634 | 84% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 193 | 10% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 74 | 4% | ← Bowling Club | |
| 2 out of 5 | 20 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 23 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 365 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 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 Bowling Club 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 Bowling Club, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houghton Kepier Sports College School/college/university | 5 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 September 2025 |
| Dairy Lane Care Centre Caring Premises | 238 yards away | 5 - Very good | 3 June 2025 |
| Greggs Retailers - other | 420 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 January 2025 |
| Dicksons Pork Shops Retailers - other | 433 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 January 2025 |
| Heron Foods Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 11 March 2020 |
| B & M Retail Ltd Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 April 2019 |
| Houghton Methodist Church Other catering premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 April 2017 |
| Food Weighhouse Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 19 February 2018 |
Questions about Bowling Club
What is Bowling Club's food hygiene rating?
Bowling Club has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Sunderland Council on 14 May 2026.
Is Bowling Club 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 Bowling Club last inspected?
Bowling Club was last inspected on 14 May 2026, 2 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Sunderland Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Bowling Club?
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 "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Bowling Club compare to other places in Sunderland?
84% of the 1,946 rated food businesses in Sunderland hold the top rating of 5, while Bowling Club holds a 3. 74 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Sunderland Council inspects Bowling Club 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 Bowling Club 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
Bowling Club is one of 276 rated food businesses in Houghton-le-Spring. See every hygiene rating in Houghton-le-Spring →
Sunderland inspects and rates 2,311 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Sunderland →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.sunderland.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 →