(Image: NORTHERN ECHO)
A Darlington care home which boasts of serving residents “home-cooked food made with fresh ingredients" has been handed a one-star food hygiene rating after inspectors found major improvements were needed.
The Gardens Care Home, in Pondfield Close, was visited by food safety officers on July 7 this year and received the second-lowest possible rating of one out of five.
Inspectors found the home’s cleanliness and condition of its facilities and building was “good”, but hygienic food handling was only considered “generally satisfactory”.
The Gardens Care Home, in Pondfield Close, Darlington
(Image: NORTHERN ECHO)
More seriously, the management of food safety was judged to require “major improvement”.
That category examines whether proper systems and checks are in place to make sure food served is safe to eat, whether staff understand food safety requirements and whether inspectors are confident standards will be maintained in the future.
On its website, The Gardens says it operates a "seasonal four-week rolling menu and that meals are cooked daily by its in-house catering team".
It also says chefs "cater for a wide range of dietary requirements, including altered textures, fortified diets and options for residents who are vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free or diabetic".
The home, operated by Ascot Care, has 56 single en-suite bedrooms across two units and provides residential care alongside specialist nurse-led care for people with more complex needs.
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The food hygiene result comes while the home is also rated “Requires improvement” overall by the Care Quality Commission following a rating published in February 2025.
The two ratings relate to separate regulations, with the food hygiene inspection specifically assessing standards around the preparation and serving of food.
Businesses receiving low food hygiene scores can appeal, submit a right of reply and request a re-inspection after improvements have been made.
Ascot Care have been approached for a comment.