Food safety

Food hygiene rating scheme

The scheme helps you choose where to eat out or shop for food by giving you clear information about the businesses’ hygiene standards. We run the scheme in partnership with the Food Standards Agency.

The scheme gives businesses a rating from 5 to 0 which is displayed at their premises and online so you can make more informed choices about where to buy and eat food.

5 – hygiene standards are very good
4 – hygiene standards are good
3 – hygiene standards are generally satisfactory
2 – some improvement is necessary
1 – major improvement is necessary
0 – urgent improvement is required

The rating shows how well the business is doing overall, based on standards found at the time of inspection. The ratings can be found online and on stickers which are displayed at business premises. The back of the sticker and the online rating will also show the date of the inspection by the local authority’s food safety officer.

Ratings are typically given to places where food is supplied, sold or consumed, such as:

restaurants, pubs and cafes
takeaways, food vans and stalls
canteens and hotels
supermarkets and other food shops
schools, hospitals and care homes

What the rating covers

Ratings are a snapshot of the standards of food hygiene found at the time of inspection. Businesses are responsible for complying with food hygiene law at all times.

This includes: