Food hygiene ratings

National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme

If you run a business that sells and serves food, then you must be rated for hygiene standards. 

We rate restaurants, takeaways, cafes, sandwich shops, pubs, hotels, food mobiles, supermarkets and other retail food outlets, as well as any other business where consumers can eat or buy food.

Consumers have the right to know the food they're eating is safe. So we operate a scheme to give the public at-a-glance information about hygiene standards in food businesses.

Which businesses are given a rating?

Businesses will be given a rating certificate to display in their window.  Displaying your rating gives customers the confidence that they can trust the food you are serving.

How do we calculate a rating?

One of our qualified inspectors will do a food hygiene inspection.  We will then give businesses a rating for the standards of hygiene found at that time. These include:

• How hygienically the food is handled – safe food preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage
• The condition of the structure of the premises – cleanliness, repair, layout, lighting, ventilation and other facilities
• How food safety is managed and documented – using systems such as ‘Safer Food Better Business’ or equivalent.

What do the scores mean?

• 5 - conditions are very good
• 4 - conditions are good
• 3 - conditions are generally satisfactory
• 2 - improvement is necessary
• 1 - major improvement is necessary
• 0 - urgent improvement is necessary

Request a rescore visit

Following a food hygiene rating inspection a food business operator can make the necessary improvements and request a rescore visit. This service costs £172. Please use the online form.

You must provide details of the improvements made with your request, including supporting evidence where appropriate.

Once we’ve received the form and payment, we will then carry out an unannounced rescore visit within 3 months of the request. Your rating could go up or down, or remain the same.

Right to Appeal

As the food business operator of the establishment, you have a right to appeal the food hygiene rating given following your inspection if you do not agree that the rating reflects the hygiene standards and management controls found at the time of the inspection. You should first speak to the officer who carried out the inspection so that they can explain and help you to understand how the rating was calculated.

If you still think that the rating is unfair an appeal may be lodged with the Team Leader of the Food and Safety Team, by completing the following FHRS Appeal form    You have 21 days (including weekends and bank holidays) from the date of receipt of the notification letter to lodge an appeal (this can be given at the time of inspection).

Your rating will be reviewed and the outcome of your appeal will be communicated to you within 21 days.

Right to Reply

As the food business operator of the establishment you have a ‘right to reply’ in respect of the food hygiene rating given following your inspection.

The purpose is to enable you to give an explanation of subsequent actions that have been taken to make the required improvements as detailed in the inspection letter, or to explain mitigation for the circumstances at the time of the inspection.  It is not for making complaints or for criticising the scheme or food safety officer.

If you wish to use this ‘right to reply’, please complete the FHRS Right to Reply Form

Your comments will be reviewed and may be edited in order to remove offensive or defamatory remarks before being published online and displayed together with your food hygiene rating at food.gov.uk/ratings.

There will be a statement at food.gov.uk/ratings that will highlight that the accuracy of your comments has not been verified by local authority officers.

As the food business operator of the establishment, you may request that your new rating is published on the Food Standards Agency website before the period in which you can appeal against the rating has elapsed.  

An Environmental Health Officer will review your request and will usually publish the rating early.  If there are any issues or queries, we will contact you.

How do I find out the ratings of food businesses in North West Leicestershire?

Search for hygiene ratings on the Food Standards Agency website.

Check your business has the correct rating - and see how you compare against your competitors. 

Scores given are based on conditions found at the time of inspection and changes may have occurred at the premises since this date.