Pub/bar/nightclub 📍 Stockton On Tees

The Merlin

Billingham

Food hygiene rating 5 / 5 · Very good

Squeaky clean

The Merlin scored a 5 out of 5 at its last inspection. Tuck in.

The breakdown

Hygiene Very good Cleanliness & condition Good Confidence in management Very good

Last inspected on 25 March 2026 by Stockton On Tees.

Rating over time

We have recorded 2 Food Standards Agency inspections for The Merlin, from February 2018 to March 2026. Its hygiene rating has held steady, from 5 in 2018 to 5 in 2026.

Food hygiene rating (0 to 5) at each FSA inspection of The Merlin.

Food hygiene rating history for The Merlin
Inspection date	Rating	Verdict
2 February 2018	5 / 5	Very good
25 March 2026	5 / 5	Very good

What does this rating mean?

The Merlin in Billingham has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good). On the Food Standards Agency scale, 5 is the best and 0 is the worst. Yes - 5 is the top food hygiene rating. It means hygiene standards were very good at the last inspection.

The rating reflects standards found at the last inspection. It is not a verdict on how the food tastes - it scores how well the business manages food safety. How often a place is inspected depends on its risk: lower-rated and higher-risk businesses are revisited more often than spotless ones.

Where is it?

Marsh House Avenue,
Billingham,
TS23 3QJ

This is the official Food Standards Agency hygiene badge for The Merlin. The data is published by the FSA under the Open Government Licence.

Who inspects The Merlin?

Food hygiene at The Merlin is inspected by Stockton On Tees, the local authority responsible for this area. You can reach them at http://www.stockton.gov.uk or [email protected].

Questions about The Merlin

What is The Merlin’s food hygiene rating?

The Merlin has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (Very good), based on its last Food Standards Agency inspection on 25 March 2026.

When was The Merlin last inspected?

The Merlin was last inspected by Stockton On Tees on 25 March 2026.

Is a 5 out of 5 hygiene rating good?

Yes - 5 is the top food hygiene rating. It means hygiene standards were very good at the last inspection.

What do the food hygiene scores mean?

The rating combines three checks made on the day of the inspection: how hygienically food is handled, the cleanliness and condition of the premises, and how confident the inspector is that management will keep standards up. A higher overall score, from 0 up to 5, means fewer problems were found.