Food Hygiene Rating Scheme

Overview

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme is run in partnership with the Food Standards Agency. The scheme provides a rating between 5 and 0 for food businesses dependent on food hygiene standards found by an officer during an inspection. The ratings are:

Compliant businesses

5 = Very good
4 = Good
3 = Satisfactory

Non-compliant businesses

2 = Improvement necessary
1 = Major improvement necessary
0 = Urgent improvement necessary

Food businesses which supply food directly to the consumer will be included within the scheme, such as restaurants, takeaways, public houses (including wet sales only), hotels, guesthouses and bed and breakfasts, retail shops including corner shops and supermarkets, schools and nurseries, care and nursing homes, lunch clubs, mobile caterers and home caterers such as cake and chutney makers.

Businesses will not be included if they do not sell food directly to the consumer such as food manufacturers and cash and carries who only sell to businesses. Other low risk businesses may also be exempt such as chemists and newsagents which only sell pre-packaged low risk foods, vending machines, childminders and businesses such as village and church halls which are hired out or only serve hot drinks and shop brought biscuits.

The rating is based on three areas:

• Food hygiene and safety procedures - how hygienically the food is handled, how it is prepared, cooked, cooled, stored, and what measures are taken to prevent food being contaminated with bacteria, chemicals and foreign bodies.
• Structural requirements - the condition of the structure of the premises including cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation, availability of hot and cold water, equipment and other facilities.      
• Confidence in management - how you manage and record what you do to make sure food is safe using a food safety management system.

Food businesses will be given a score in each area using national guidance issued by the Food Standards Agency.  

The rating given depends on how well the business does in all three areas and the total score. It also depends on the areas that need improving the most - the business may do better in some areas and less well in others. To get the top rating, you must score no more than 5 in each of the three areas. A higher score results in a lower food hygiene rating. All businesses are able to get the top rating.

Food businesses will automatically get a new rating at each planned inspection.