The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme

Good food hygiene is essential to make sure that the food you serve is safe to eat. When you are setting up a food business, you need to introduce ways of working that will help you ensure hygiene standards are right from the start.

Food hygiene ratings

We have adopted the national Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) from the Food Standards Agency.

You can check the ratings by searching on the FHRS website.

Food establishments should also have their ratings displayed on their window or door, though this is not legally required in England and Scotland currently.

The FHRS rating gives information about the hygiene standards of a business. They are given for most of the following food business types: 

• restaurants
• pubs
• cafés
• takeaways
• hotels
• supermarkets and other food shops.

How we inspect food businesses

During a food hygiene inspection, an Environmental Health Officer will view your food storage and production areas, discuss your food safety practices and procedures and view your food safety management system.

The Officer will then provide the business with a food hygiene rating scheme score between 0 (urgent improvement required) to 5 (very good) and provide a new FHRS sticker. The scoring is based on:

• how hygienically the food is handled: how it is prepared, cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored
• the condition of the structure of the buildings: the cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation and other facilities
• how the business manages food safety so that the officer can be confident standards will be maintained in the future.

The scoring is given in line with the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme Brand Standard and we ensure that scores are being consistently applied by all Officers.

Providing our rating

An officer will provide the business with a food hygiene rating scheme score between 0 (urgent improvement required) to 5 (very good). The scoring is based on:

• how hygienically the food is handled: how it is prepared, cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored
• the condition of the structure of the buildings: the cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation and other facilities
• how the business manages food safety so that the officer can be confident standards will be maintained in the future.

If your business has a food hygiene rating of 0 to 4: 

• you have the right of appeal
• you have the right to reply following a food hygiene rating
• you can also request a re-rating inspection to try and obtain a higher food hygiene rating.

Make an appeal

We will explain the food hygiene rating during the inspection. However, if the business owner or manager thinks that the rating is unfair or wrong, they can appeal in writing to our Lead Food Safety Officer.

The business has 21 days (including weekends and bank holidays) from the date of receipt of the notification of FHRS rating to apply for an appeal. Before making an appeal, please visit the appeals section of the Food Standards Agency website for more information.