Food hygiene inspections

The national Food Hygiene Rating Scheme helps you choose where to eat out or shop for food by giving you information about the hygiene standards in restaurants, pubs, cafes, takeaways, hotels and other places you eat out. Supermarkets and other food shops are also included in the scheme. Food manufacturers and childminders are currently not included within the scheme and are therefore not given a rating.

About the rating

Each business is given a 'hygiene rating' when it is inspected by us. The hygiene rating shows how closely the business is meeting the requirements of food hygiene law.

Food hygiene rating scores at business premises

When you eat out or shop for food, you might see a sticker in the window or on the door showing you the hygiene rating for that business.

Businesses are encouraged to display these stickers at their premises in a place where you can easily see them when you visit.

More information about the rating scheme for consumers. 

Risk ratings

We are responsible for calculating the risk rating of a business, these ratings determine how often we visit the business.

National food hygiene rating scheme

Each business is rated following any inspection.

View current scores on the Food Standards Agency's Risk Ratings website.

Food Standard Agency: Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.

Requesting a re-score visit

Your score is based on the conditions found at the time of your inspection. The inspecting officer will provide you with a list of matters which require your attention following an inspection. Once you have completed these, you may wish to apply for a re-score visit. A re-score visit is unannounced and will look at all areas of the business, not just the matters in your inspection report. You score could go up, down or remain the same depending on the conditions found. 

There is a charge of £269 for undertaking a requested revisit to re-score a business

• Request a revisit - an unannounced visit will be carried out within three months of receipt of the request and payment

Disagreeing with a food hygiene rating score

If you do not agree with the rating you have been awarded, there are some options available to you. Please complete the appropriate online form below. A copy of the completed form will also be sent to your email address.

• Appeal your score [you can also access a Microsoft Word appeal form]
• Publish comments on the FHRS website explaining your score or improvements made since [you can also access a Microsoft Word publishing comments form]

Food hygiene rating publication

Your rating will be published on the Food Standards Agency's Food hygiene ratings website after 30 days from the date of the inspection. However, if you have received a ‘5’ rating this will appear on the website after 10 days.

If you have received a score between ‘0’–4’ and would like your rating to be uploaded before the 30 days, the business owner or manager can request that a rating is published before the end of the 30 day period. Complete and return this consent for the early publication of rating form.

We will review the request and will usually publish the rating early.