A Middlesbrough takeaway has been handed a food hygiene rating of zero.
Chicago’s Chicken, in Linthorpe Road near St Barnabas Church, has been told to up its game – with a spokesperson saying it will be undergoing a re-inspection shortly.
The inspection, which took place on June 10, 2026, found standards across the board to be lacking.
In all three separate categories, “major improvement” was deemed necessary. These categories were hygienic food handling, cleanliness and condition of the facilities and building. and management of food safety.
A rating of zero is at the bottom of the Food Standards Agency scale, which goes up to five.
Middlesbrough-based Chicago’s Chicken advertises paninis, wraps, desserts, sandwiches and of course, fried chicken on the store frontage.
Recommended reading
North East restaurant gets zero food hygiene rating, as bosses say improvements made
Rat droppings, dead cockroaches and flies found in North East shop
Ofsted finds progress in Teesside children's services but more work still needed
A spokesperson for the business, which also sells ‘buckets’ and ‘nugget meals’ among other items, confirmed the establishment would be undergoing a re-inspection within three months of the initial check, in a bid to improve the rating.
The representative said the firm was content that improvements had been made in the meantime.
Google reviews rate the takeaway highly with 4.6 out of 5 stars. One reviewer said: “Great quality chicken kebab. Flavour, quality, quantity and freshness all on point.”