Before you eat out or order a takeaway, wouldn't you like to know how clean the kitchen is? Our Food Hygiene Rating Checker shows you official ratings from the Food Standards Agency for every restaurant, takeaway, pub, and cafe near you.

Check Hygiene Ratings Near You →

How It Works

Our tool uses the official Food Standards Agency (FSA) API to show you hygiene ratings for food businesses across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Every rating comes from an inspection by local authority food safety officers.

  1. Share your location — Or enter a postcode manually
  2. Set your search radius — 1, 2, 5, or 10 miles
  3. Filter by type — Restaurants, takeaways, pubs, cafes, and more
  4. Filter by cuisine — Chinese, Indian, Fish & Chips, Pizza, and more
  5. View results — See ratings sorted by score or distance

Each business shows its official hygiene rating badge (0-5), the inspection date, and how far away it is. Click any result to see it on the map and get directions.

Understanding Food Hygiene Ratings

Food hygiene ratings range from 0 to 5. The rating reflects the standards found at the time of inspection by local authority food safety officers.

5
Very Good

Hygiene standards are very good. The business has high standards of food hygiene management.

4
Good

Hygiene standards are good. Minor improvements may be needed but don't pose a significant risk.

3
Generally Satisfactory

Hygiene standards are generally satisfactory. Some improvements are needed.

2
Improvement Necessary

Some major improvements are necessary. Standards are below acceptable levels.

1
Major Improvement Necessary

Major improvements are necessary. Significant hygiene issues were found.

0
Urgent Improvement Required

Urgent improvement is required. Serious hygiene failures were identified.

What Inspectors Look For

Food safety officers assess three main areas when inspecting a food business:

1. Hygienic Food Handling

How food is prepared, cooked, reheated, cooled, and stored. Inspectors check that food is handled safely to prevent contamination and that cooking temperatures are sufficient to kill harmful bacteria.

2. Physical Condition of the Premises

The cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation, and pest control. This includes the condition of equipment, whether surfaces are cleanable, and whether there's adequate handwashing facilities.

3. Food Safety Management

Systems and processes to ensure food is safe, including staff training, documentation, and management controls. Businesses should have procedures to identify and control food safety hazards.

Filter by Cuisine Type

Our tool automatically detects cuisine types from business names, letting you filter results by the type of food you're looking for:

  • 🥡 Chinese — Chinese restaurants and takeaways
  • 🍛 Indian — Indian restaurants, curry houses, and tandooris
  • 🐟 Fish & Chips — Traditional chip shops and fish fryers
  • 🍕 Pizza — Pizzerias and pizza takeaways
  • 🥙 Kebab — Kebab shops and Turkish grills
  • 🍜 Thai — Thai restaurants
  • 🍣 Japanese — Sushi bars and Japanese restaurants
  • 🍔 American — Burger joints and American diners
  • ☕ Cafe — Cafes, coffee shops, and bakeries
  • 🍺 Pub — Pubs and inns serving food

Why Ratings Matter

Food hygiene ratings give you valuable information about the cleanliness and safety standards of food businesses. Here's why they're worth checking:

Protect Your Health

Poor food hygiene can lead to food poisoning, which affects around 2.4 million people in the UK each year. Checking ratings helps you avoid businesses with known hygiene issues.

Make Informed Choices

Just because food tastes good doesn't mean it's been prepared safely. A 5-star rating gives you confidence that the kitchen meets high standards, while a low rating is a warning sign.

Encourage Improvement

When customers check ratings, it incentivises businesses to maintain high standards. Businesses with low ratings often improve quickly once they realise customers are paying attention.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often are businesses inspected?

The frequency depends on the type of business and previous ratings. High-risk businesses are inspected more frequently. Most businesses are inspected at least every 18 months to 2 years.

Can a business appeal their rating?

Yes, businesses can appeal their rating or request a re-inspection. If they've made improvements, they may request a re-visit for a fee. New ratings are usually published within 28 days of inspection.

Are businesses required to display their rating?

In Wales and Northern Ireland, it's a legal requirement to display the rating sticker. In England, it's voluntary but encouraged. Most businesses with good ratings choose to display them prominently.

What does "Awaiting Inspection" mean?

New businesses or those that have changed ownership may show "Awaiting Inspection" until they've been visited by a food safety officer. This isn't necessarily a bad sign — it just means they haven't been rated yet.

Is Scotland included?

Scotland uses a different system called the Food Hygiene Information Scheme (FHIS), which gives a Pass or Improvement Required result rather than a 0-5 rating. Scottish businesses are included in our results with their FHIS status shown.

Ready to Check?

Find food hygiene ratings for restaurants and takeaways near you.

Check Hygiene Ratings →

Data Source

All ratings come from the Food Standards Agency, the government body responsible for food safety in the UK. The data is updated regularly as new inspections are carried out.

We also enrich results with contact information from OpenStreetMap where available, allowing you to call or visit the website of many businesses directly from the results.

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