What Do Food Hygiene Ratings Actually Mean?
Every food business in the UK that's open to the public gets inspected and given a score from 0 to 5 under the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (Wales and Northern Ireland require display of the sticker by law; England does not, though most businesses display it anyway). Here's what each number actually means.
Very good
Hygiene standards are very good — the highest rating available.
Good
Hygiene standards are good, with only minor issues if any.
Generally satisfactory
Some improvement is necessary — not a fail, but not the standard to aim for either.
Improvement necessary
Some aspects of hygiene, food handling or the building need improvement.
Major improvement necessary
Major improvement is necessary across multiple areas.
Urgent improvement necessary
Urgent improvement is required — the lowest rating, reserved for serious failings.
What inspectors actually look at
The rating is built from three separate scores that get combined: how food is handled (prepared, cooked, reheated, stored), the cleanliness and condition of the building and facilities, and how well the business manages food safety — its systems, training and record-keeping for staying safe day to day, not just on inspection day.
"Awaiting inspection" and "Exempt"
New businesses often show "Awaiting Inspection" until a council officer visits for the first time — this isn't a bad sign, just a timing gap. "Exempt" applies to certain business types the scheme doesn't rate at all, such as some very low-risk premises.
Ratings on this site are sourced directly from the Food Standards Agency's open data. Browse ratings by area.