4

Donkins food hygiene rating

Pub/bar/nightclub · Sunderland

Donkins holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the pub 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 12 March 2019, more than 7 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: Lord Seaham Hotel, 1, Blind Lane, SR3 1AU

How it compares in Sunderland

In Sunderland, 84% of rated places manage a 5, so Donkins sits behind roughly 1,634 nearby businesses. 10% of the borough shares its 4.

Every rated food business in Sunderland
5 out of 5 1,634 84%
4 out of 5 193 10% ← Donkins
3 out of 5 74 4%
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

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 Donkins 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 Donkins, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Aunt Maud's Tasty Dinners Takeaway/sandwich shop 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 18 June 2024
Alibaba Takeaway/sandwich shop 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 15 July 2024
Bryony Lodge Carehome Caring Premises 0.9 miles away 5 - Very good 10 March 2025
Aldi Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets 0.9 miles away 5 - Very good 14 December 2018

Questions about Donkins

What is Donkins's food hygiene rating?

Donkins has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Sunderland Council on 12 March 2019.

Is Donkins 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 pub to be good, the top end of the scale.

When was Donkins last inspected?

Donkins was last inspected on 12 March 2019, more than 7 years 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 Donkins?

The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.

How does Donkins compare to other places in Sunderland?

84% of the 1,946 rated food businesses in Sunderland hold the top rating of 5, while Donkins holds a 4. 193 places in the area share that rating.

Who decides the rating?

Sunderland Council inspects Donkins 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 Donkins and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

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 →