Spicy Balti food hygiene rating
Takeaway/sandwich shop · Sunderland
Spicy Balti holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The takeaway 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
This is a fresh result: Spicy Balti was inspected on 21 May 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.
Address: 38, Market Street, Houghton-le-Spring, DH5 9DY
How it compares in Sunderland
In Sunderland, 84% of rated places manage a 5, so Spicy Balti 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% | ← Spicy Balti | |
| 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 Spicy Balti 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 Spicy Balti, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market Street Chippy Takeaway/sandwich shop | at this address | 5 - Very good | 13 December 2025 |
| Elizabeth Fleming Care Centre Caring Premises | 12 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 January 2026 |
| Dulai's News & Booze Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 January 2020 |
| Discount Store Unit 2 Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 November 2022 |
| Greggs Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 3 November 2025 |
| Hetton & District WMC Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 25 October 2023 |
| Eppleton Cricket Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 January 2026 |
| Kids Fun Club School/college/university | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 7 December 2022 |
Questions about Spicy Balti
What is Spicy Balti's food hygiene rating?
Spicy Balti has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Sunderland Council on 21 May 2026.
Is Spicy Balti safe to eat at?
A 3 means the takeaway 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 Spicy Balti last inspected?
Spicy Balti was last inspected on 21 May 2026, a month 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 Spicy Balti?
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 Spicy Balti compare to other places in Sunderland?
84% of the 1,946 rated food businesses in Sunderland hold the top rating of 5, while Spicy Balti holds a 3. 74 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Sunderland Council inspects Spicy Balti 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 Spicy Balti and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Spicy Balti 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 →