Purple Onion food hygiene rating
Takeaway/sandwich shop · Ards and North Down
Purple Onion 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: Purple Onion was inspected on 21 May 2026, so the rating reflects what the inspector found very recently.
Address: 6a Castle Street, Corporation North, Newtownards, BT23 7PA
How it compares in Ards and North Down
In Ards and North Down, 82% of rated places manage a 5, so Purple Onion sits behind roughly 1,103 nearby businesses. 4% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 949 | 82% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 154 | 13% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 43 | 4% | ← Purple Onion | |
| 2 out of 5 | 8 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 1 | <1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 118 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 Purple Onion 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 Purple Onion, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ivy Bar Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 6 May 2025 |
| Kandy Korner Retailers - other | 137 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 December 2024 |
| Frances Street Filling Station Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 191 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 July 2023 |
| Happy Days Day Nursery Caring Premises | 191 yards away | 5 - Very good | 30 June 2025 |
| Eliza & Vi’s Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 198 yards away | 5 - Very good | 26 March 2026 |
| Mauds Ice Cream,Coffee Shop&sandwich Bar Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 200 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 January 2025 |
| First Newtownards Presbyterian Church Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 206 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 September 2025 |
| Cotters Retailers - other | 232 yards away | 5 - Very good | 3 August 2023 |
Questions about Purple Onion
What is Purple Onion's food hygiene rating?
Purple Onion has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by Ards and North Down Council on 21 May 2026.
Is Purple Onion 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 Purple Onion last inspected?
Purple Onion was last inspected on 21 May 2026, a month ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Ards and North Down Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Purple Onion?
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 Purple Onion compare to other places in Ards and North Down?
82% of the 1,155 rated food businesses in Ards and North Down hold the top rating of 5, while Purple Onion holds a 3. 43 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Ards and North Down Council inspects Purple Onion 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 Purple Onion and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Purple Onion is one of 884 rated food businesses in Down. See every hygiene rating in Down →
Ards and North Down inspects and rates 1,273 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Ards and North Down →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.ardsandnorthdown.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 →