Down At The Farm food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Sunderland
Down At The Farm holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the restaurant met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
The rating dates from 22 July 2025, 11 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: Haining Law Farm, Stoneygate, Houghton-le-Spring, DH5 8JG
How it compares in Sunderland
That puts Down At The Farm among the 1,634 places in Sunderland holding top marks, 84% of everywhere the council rates. A 5 is the norm here rather than the exception, so it is the rating to expect, not to be impressed by.
| 5 out of 5 | 1,634 | 84% | ← Down At The Farm | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 193 | 10% | ||
| 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
- Hygienic food handling Very good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Good
- 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 Down At The Farm 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.
Questions about Down At The Farm
What is Down At The Farm's food hygiene rating?
Down At The Farm has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Sunderland Council on 22 July 2025.
Is Down At The Farm safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 5 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this restaurant to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was Down At The Farm last inspected?
Down At The Farm was last inspected on 22 July 2025, 11 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 Down At The Farm?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Down At The Farm compare to other places in Sunderland?
84% of the 1,946 rated food businesses in Sunderland hold the top rating of 5, and Down At The Farm is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Sunderland Council inspects Down At The Farm 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 Down At The Farm and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Down At The Farm 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 →