Guide
Food Hygiene Ratings 0 to 5: What Each Number Means
A food hygiene rating is a council's 0 to 5 score for how safely a business handles food. What each number means, how to check it and what it leaves out.
What does a food hygiene rating mean?
A food hygiene rating is a score from 0 to 5 given by the local council after inspecting a food business, published by the Food Standards Agency. 5 means very good, 4 good, 3 generally satisfactory, 2 improvement necessary, 1 major improvement necessary and 0 urgent improvement necessary. In Scotland the equivalent scheme gives Pass or Improvement Required instead of a number.
The rating covers three things: how hygienically the food is handled, the condition of the premises and equipment, and how the business manages food safety, including its records and training. It is not a score for the food, the service or the value.
How is a caterer rated if they have no restaurant?
The same way. Every food business must register with its council, including home kitchens, vans, trailers and hog roast units, and each one is inspected. A mobile unit is registered with the council where it is kept, not where it trades. For businesses run from a home address, the public register shows only the first half of the postcode and no street, which is why you should search by business name.
How do you check a rating?
Search the business name on the Food Standards Agency's ratings site, ratings.food.gov.uk. The result shows the rating, the date of the inspection and the council that did it. If a caterer trades under several names or has several vans, there may be more than one record. If there is no record, ask the caterer which council they are registered with and under what name; a newly registered business may be awaiting its first inspection.
Why does this site only list caterers rated 3 or above?
Because 3 is the point at which the council found hygiene generally satisfactory. A rating of 0 to 2 means the inspector found improvement was necessary, and in Scotland Improvement Required means the same thing. Those businesses are not listed here. Ratings are refreshed from the FSA's published data every time the site is built, and each listing shows the rating as text with its inspection date and council. When a business improves and is re-rated, it can be listed.
What a rating does not tell you
A rating is a snapshot of one inspection. Low-risk businesses may go two years or more between inspections, so always look at the date. It says nothing about whether you will like the food, whether the caterer turns up on time, or whether they carry insurance. Displaying a rating on premises is a legal requirement in Wales and Northern Ireland but voluntary in England, and nowhere is a caterer required to show it on a website.
Can a business challenge its rating?
Yes. A business can appeal within a set period after the rating is published, can ask for a re-inspection once it has made improvements, and can publish a short right to reply alongside the rating. So a rating that looks old or low may already be under review. The current published rating is the one that counts.
Common questions
Is a food hygiene rating of 3 good?
3 means generally satisfactory: the inspector found the business broadly compliant with some things to improve. 4 is good and 5 is very good.
How often are caterers inspected?
It depends on the risk the council assigns, from every six months for higher-risk businesses to two years or more for lower-risk ones. Check the date shown with the rating.
Do caterers have to display their rating?
In Wales and Northern Ireland, businesses must display it at their premises. In England display is voluntary. No UK law requires a caterer to show it online.
What does 'Awaiting inspection' mean?
The business is registered with its council but has not yet had its first inspection. It is not a rating either way.
Does Scotland use the 0 to 5 scale?
No. Scotland's Food Hygiene Information Scheme gives Pass or Improvement Required. This site lists Scottish caterers with a Pass.