5

The Old Dog & Duck food hygiene rating

Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Northumberland

The Old Dog & 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 3 March 2026, 4 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: Cresswell, Northumberland, NE61 5EQ

How it compares in Northumberland

That puts The Old Dog & Duck among the 2,779 places in Northumberland holding top marks, 90% 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 Northumberland
5 out of 5 2,779 90% ← The Old Dog & Duck
4 out of 5 214 7%
3 out of 5 67 2%
2 out of 5 7 <1%
1 out of 5 8 <1%
0 out of 5 2 <1%

A further 397 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 Old Dog & 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 Old Dog & Duck, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Hemscott Enterprises Ltd Other catering premises at this address 5 - Very good 9 September 2025
Cresswell Ices Retailers - other 1.2 miles away 5 - Very good 3 April 2025
The Drift Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 1.2 miles away 5 - Very good 15 April 2026
Park Mart Shop (Nisa) Retailers - other 1.3 miles away 5 - Very good 8 April 2024
Tower Tavern Pub/bar/nightclub 1.3 miles away 5 - Very good 8 June 2026
Crumbs and Coffee Community Cafe & Shop Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 1.3 miles away 5 - Very good 16 June 2026
Ellington Caravan Park Pub/bar/nightclub 1.3 miles away 5 - Very good 19 September 2023
Golden Sands Sea View Bar Pub/bar/nightclub 1.5 miles away 5 - Very good 19 March 2024

Questions about The Old Dog & Duck

What is The Old Dog & Duck's food hygiene rating?

The Old Dog & Duck has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Northumberland Council on 3 March 2026.

Is The Old Dog & 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 Old Dog & Duck last inspected?

The Old Dog & Duck was last inspected on 3 March 2026, 4 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Northumberland Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at The Old Dog & 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 Old Dog & Duck compare to other places in Northumberland?

90% of the 3,077 rated food businesses in Northumberland hold the top rating of 5, and The Old Dog & Duck is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Northumberland Council inspects The Old Dog & 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 Old Dog & 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

Northumberland inspects and rates 3,474 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Northumberland

The official record is held by the council: http://www.northumberland.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 →