Food safety

Search for food hygiene ratings

Each business is given a hygiene rating when it is inspected by a food safety officer from the Council. The hygiene rating tells you the standards of hygiene found at the time of the inspection.

A business is given one of six ratings, from a scale of 0 at the bottom, which means that urgent improvement is necessary, to 5 at the top, which means that the business was found to have very good hygiene standards.

• the food hygiene rating is not a guide to food quality

About hygiene ratings

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme helps make it easier for you to choose places with good hygiene when you're eating out or shopping for food. The food hygiene rating tells you about the hygiene standards in restaurants, pubs, cafés, takeaways, hotels and other places you eat out, as well as in supermarkets and other food shops.  Not all food businesses will have a hygiene rating yet, but more businesses are being rated all the time.

• the scheme is run by local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in partnership with the Food Standards Agency

Spotting good food hygiene

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

Businesses are encouraged to display these stickers at their premises in places where you can easily see them before you enter.

What's inspected?

The food safety officer inspecting a business checks how well the business is meeting the law on food hygiene by looking at:

• how hygienically the food is handled - how it is prepared, cooked, cooled and stored
• the condition of the structure of the buildings, including cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation, equipment and other facilities
• how the business manages and records what it does to make sure food is safe

The food safety officer will explain to the person who owns or manages the business, if there are any improvements needed, what they are and how they can achieve a higher rating.

Last updated Tuesday, 3rd April 2018

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