5

The Dirty Duck food hygiene rating

Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Ards and North Down

The Dirty Duck 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 27 September 2024, 21 months ago. That is getting on for the longest gap councils usually leave, so the score may not reflect how the business is run today.

Address: 2-4 Kinnegar Road, Holywood, BT18 9JN

How it compares in Ards and North Down

That puts The Dirty Duck among the 949 places in Ards and North Down holding top marks, 82% 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.

Every rated food business in Ards and North Down
5 out of 5 949 82% ← The Dirty Duck
4 out of 5 154 13%
3 out of 5 43 4%
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

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 The Dirty Duck 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 The Dirty Duck, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Holywood Sports Social & Rec Club Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 299 yards away 5 - Very good 19 February 2026
Holywood Pizza Co Takeaway/sandwich shop 301 yards away 5 - Very good 26 March 2026
Indian Ocean Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 305 yards away 5 - Very good 26 March 2026
Coffee Yard Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 342 yards away 5 - Very good 8 October 2024
Holywood Football & Social Club Pub/bar/nightclub 342 yards away 5 - Very good 12 May 2023
Pizzini Pizza Takeaway/sandwich shop 342 yards away 5 - Very good 19 March 2026
Mount Charles @ Loughview Caring Premises 349 yards away 5 - Very good 19 February 2026
Mauds Ice-Cream Holywood Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 365 yards away 5 - Very good 2 January 2025

Questions about The Dirty Duck

What is The Dirty Duck's food hygiene rating?

The Dirty Duck has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Ards and North Down Council on 27 September 2024.

Is The Dirty Duck 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 The Dirty Duck last inspected?

The Dirty Duck was last inspected on 27 September 2024, 21 months 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 The Dirty Duck?

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 "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.

How does The Dirty Duck 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, and The Dirty Duck is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Ards and North Down Council inspects The Dirty Duck 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 The Dirty Duck and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

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 →