Food Hygiene Report 2025 | UK Ratings | Towns, Cities & Regions
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Food Hygiene: Know the score 2025 Report

15th Anniversary of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme

What are food hygiene ratings and how does your area perform?

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We are High Speed Training, and we’re one of the UK’s leading providers of food hygiene courses. We’ve certified over 3 million learners since 2008, including hundreds of thousands of learners and businesses across the world on the vital topic of food hygiene.

In the UK, food businesses are awarded a food hygiene rating as part of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS), which is marking its 15th anniversary in 2025.

Food hygiene ratings range from 0, indicating that urgent improvement is necessary, to 5, indicating that hygiene standards are very good. Hygiene ratings allow consumers to understand an establishment's approach to hygienic practices and make informed decisions.

For businesses, food hygiene ratings offer the opportunity to demonstrate their dedication to high standards of hygiene to prospective customers. Staff training courses, such as our Food Safety & Hygiene Level 2 Course for Catering, are vital for ensuring good practices across your establishment. For managers and supervisors, a Level 3 Food Hygiene Course in Catering provides knowledge of food hygiene practices and legal responsibilities.

To highlight the importance of these ratings, High Speed Training has investigated Food Standards Agency (FSA) data for over 240,000 food businesses across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

We conducted similar reports in 2022, 2023 and 2024, providing a picture of how the food hygiene landscape is evolving.

This report will investigate the impact of 15 years of the FHRS, explore how ratings are decided and showcase which areas of the UK are performing best when it comes to food hygiene.

The results

By using the interactive map and table below, you can see how your region, town or city ranks against the rest of the country.

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South West
East Counties
London
Wales
South East
North West
North East
West Midlands
East Midlands
Northern Ireland
Scotland
Yorkshire & Humber

Overall results

Filter these results by Region or by Town / City:

North East

Ranked joint #2 of 11

Yorkshire and Humberside

Ranked #5 of 11

South West

Ranked #1 of 11

Wales

Ranked #7 of 11

East Counties

Ranked joint #4 of 11

East Midlands

Ranked #3 of 11

London

Ranked #9 of 11 (bottom)

North West

Ranked #6 of 11

Northern Ireland

Ranked joint #2 of 11

Scotland

Scotland uses a different rating system to the rest of the UK which has two main ratings - 'Pass' or 'Improvement Required'. We have provided the percentage pass rates by local authority below.

South East

Ranked joint #4 of 11

West Midlands

Ranked #8 of 11

What is the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme?

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) is a national scheme that runs across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It operates in partnership with local authorities and provides information to the public about the hygiene standards of food businesses.

Food hygiene rating inspections are typically conducted by Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) from a local authority. The frequency of these visits depends on the nature of a business and its level of risk. For example, a business that handles and serves raw fish would be considered high risk and therefore inspected more regularly. During an inspection an EHO will assess whether the correct safety standards are being maintained to keep members of staff, the public and customers safe.

When inspecting a premises an EHO will use the FSA's Food Law Code of Practice to assess a business in three key categories. The scores from each category are then used to calculate an overall rating. The criteria and rating scale are summarised below.

What makes up a rating?

During an inspection an EHO will score a business in the following three categories:

Food safety and hygiene procedures

How hygienically the food is handled and how it is prepared, cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored.

Structural requirements

The physical condition of a business including cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation, pest control and other facilities.

Confidence in management

How a business manages ways of keeping food safe, looking at processes, training and systems to ensure good hygiene is maintained

Each category is scored individually and then added together to calculate the intervention score. This score is then mapped to the food hygiene rating score and determines the overall rating that a business will attain. A business needs the lowest intervention score possible in order to achieve the highest food hygiene rating.

Food hygiene ratings are scored out of 5 as follows:

0 1 2 3 4 5

0 = Urgent Improvement Needed

0 1 2 3 4 5

1 = Major Improvement Needed

0 1 2 3 4 5

2 = Some Improvement Needed

0 1 2 3 4 5

3 = Satisfactory

0 1 2 3 4 5

4 = Good

0 1 2 3 4 5

5 = Very Good

After an inspection food hygiene ratings are made available on the FSA's website. Businesses are also given window stickers which display their rating. This sticker must legally be prominently displayed in Wales and Northern Ireland.

15th anniversary of the FHRS

The FHRS was formally launched in November 2010. It was designed to help consumers make better informed decisions about where they purchase their food by providing clear information about the hygiene standards of a business. The scheme replaced a wide variety of locally operated schemes with a single national scheme that runs across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In so doing it sought to provide clarity for consumers, better consistency in hygiene standards and a level playing field for businesses. Prior to this, there was not a standardised rating scheme that was used across the country, and ratings were not easily accessible to the general public which limited the amount of information a customer had before choosing where to purchase food.

Prior to this, there was not a standardised rating scheme that was used across the country, and ratings were not easily accessible to the general public which limited the amount of information a customer had before choosing where to purchase food.

Milestones and evolution

The introduction of the FHRS has undeniably raised hygiene standards across the country. The black and green stickers have become an invaluable source of information for customers, enabling them to quickly decide whether they want to visit an establishment. The significance of the stickers cannot be understated. In November 2013 it became mandatory for food businesses in Wales to prominently display their ratings and Northern Ireland followed suit in October 2016. Whilst it is not currently a legal requirement for food businesses in England to display their stickers, the FSA continues to advocate for this to become mandatory.

When the FHRS was first launched in 2010 it was not a legal requirement for local authorities to adopt it, nor was it a legal requirement for any food businesses to display their rating. However, by December 2011, 50% of local authorities were operating the scheme and this increased to 90% by June 2012. The final authority to adopt the FHRS did so in October 2016, giving the scheme full coverage across England, Wales and Northern Ireland from then on.

The adoption of the FHRS by all local authorities emphasises the benefit of the scheme in keeping customers safe and businesses compliant. Research from the FSA found that the vast majority of food businesses surveyed recognised its positive impact. For many businesses the FHRS supports compliance and by extension customer engagement as it can help to attract and retain new customers.

The FSA continues to review and improve the FHRS and its application and in May 2025 they launched a consultation on proposed changes to the Food Law Code of Practice that, amongst other things, seeks to provide better clarity and improve consistency for businesses and consumers alike.

Measurable impact: 15 years on

The FHRS has had an immensely positive impact on food hygiene standards across the country. The number of food businesses across the country with a food hygiene rating of 3 or better has seen a steady increase since 2017. Comparatively, the number of food businesses with a rating of 2 or below has notably decreased within the same time frame.

Businesses remain encouraged to maintain high standards in order to attract and retain customers. This has resulted in an increase in the number of businesses with a rating of 5, indicating that hygiene standards are very good, with 76% of businesses inspected in 2023 achieving a 5. Research has shown that businesses with higher ratings are less likely to be responsible for outbreaks of foodborne illness which demonstrates how the scheme helps to prevent undue harm.

The scheme also continues to be an invaluable resource for consumers. Research from the FSA found that consumers view FHRS rating stickers as a source of trustworthy, independent information about the food hygiene standards in a business. Many use the scheme to check ratings and avoid lower-rated businesses in order to reduce the risk of foodborne illness. Awareness of the scheme has steadily increased over the years and even for those consumers who do not fully understand the parameters, the recognisable green and black sticker has become a reliable source of information.

Scotland's Food Hygiene Information Scheme

In Scotland, a similar scheme, called the Food Hygiene Information Scheme (FHIS), evaluates businesses on their food hygiene practices. After an EHO has reviewed the safety systems, observed food hygiene in practice and spoken with the staff, the businesses are given either:

Scotland Scheme Pass Image

Pass - The business meets the legal standard of food hygiene.

or

Scotland Scheme Improve Image

Improvement Required - The legal standard of food hygiene was not evident during the inspection. The business will need to improve certain areas to then qualify for a pass.

As in England, it is not required by law for a business to display the rating they receive. However, the FHIS is available for customers to view online.

Key Findings

Top towns and cities

1
Southport
4.95
2
Ipswich and Lincoln
4.89
2
Stockton-on-Tees
4.89

Top regions

1
South West
4.67
2
North East
4.64
2
Northern Ireland
4.64

Top large cities (over 1,000 establishments)

1
Nottingham
4.76
2
Brighton and Hove
4.66
3
Leeds
4.63

20% of takeaways in England, Wales and Northern Ireland had a food hygiene rating of 3 or below

9 out of 11 regions in the UK improved their average food hygiene score from 2024

469 food establishments in England, Wales and Northern Ireland scored a zero for their food hygiene rating

71% of food establishments in the UK scored a 5 on their FH rating, with 88.1% scoring 4 and above, a higher percentage than in 2024

Average rating across England, Northern Ireland and Wales rose to 4.56 from 4.55 in 2024

The average Pass rate in Scotland is 92.22%, a slight decrease from 92.5% in 2024

Findings by region

We have compiled a list of key facts for each region of England, along with Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Select a region from the options to get specific findings for where you live.

East Counties

4th In regional rankings
4.60 average score
  • Overall region change:
    • 2025: 4.60 - 2024: 4.59
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  • Ranked 1st in the region, Ipswich has the highest rating of 4.89. There was no change in their rating from 2024.
  • Luton, ranked 15th, has the lowest rating of 4.34. The change in rating from 2024 was an increase of 0.01.
  • Bedford, which is now ranked 8th in the East Counties, had the biggest improvement in ranking, moving up 2 positions from its 2024 rank of 10th.
  • Ely, ranked 13th in the region, had the biggest drop in ranking, moving down 6 positions from its 2024 rank of 7th.
  • Ranked 8th, Bedford had the biggest improvement in average rating with an increase of 0.12. Its average rating in 2024 was 4.46.
  • Colchester, ranked 5th, had the biggest decrease in average rating with a drop of 0.11. Its average rating in 2024 was 4.81.
  • Across the region, there were 18,796 premises analysed. This is an increase of 89 from 2024.
  • 15.36% of takeaways and sandwich shops in the East Counties scored a 0, 1, 2, or 3.
  • Across the region, 26 premises scored a 0.
  • In the East Counties, 215 premises scored a 1.
  • The total number of premises scoring a 0, 1, 2, or 3 was 1,851.
  • 90.15% of all premises in the East Counties scored a 4 or a 5.
  • 91.21% of restaurants, cafes, and canteens in the region scored a 4 or a 5.
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East Midlands

3rd In regional rankings
4.63 average score
  • Overall region change:
    • 2025: 4.63 - 2024: 4.62
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  • Lincoln, ranked 1st in the East Midlands, has the highest rating of 4.89. There was no change in their rating from 2024.
  • Northampton, ranked 7th, has the lowest rating of 4.34. The change in rating from 2024 was an increase of 0.05.
  • There was no change in ranking for any town or city between 2024 and 2025.
  • Leicester, ranked 5th in the region, had the biggest improvement in average rating with an increase of 0.06. Its average rating in 2024 was 4.42.
  • There was no decrease in the average rating for any town or city between 2024 and 2025.
  • Across the region, there were 15,906 premises analysed. This is an increase of 148 from 2024.
  • 16.63% of takeaways and sandwich shops in the East Midlands scored a 0, 1, 2, or 3.
  • Across the region, 28 premises scored a 0.
  • In the East Midlands, 155 premises scored a 1.
  • The total number of premises scoring a 0, 1, 2, or 3 was 1,577.
  • 90.09% of all premises in the East Midlands scored a 4 or a 5.
  • 91.99% of restaurants, cafes, and canteens in the region scored a 4 or a 5.
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London

9th In regional rankings
4.38 average score
  • Overall region change:
    • 2025: 4.38 - 2024: 4.36
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  • Kensington and Chelsea, ranked 1st in London, has the highest rating of 4.79. The change in rating from 2024 was a decrease of 0.01.
  • Waltham Forest, ranked 25th, has the lowest rating of 3.89. The change in rating from 2024 was an increase of 0.15.
  • Ranked 10th in the region, Kingston-Upon-Thames had the biggest improvement in ranking, moving up 5 positions from its 2024 rank of 15th.
  • Westminster (ranked 14th), Redbridge (ranked 16th), and Newham (ranked 23rd) had the biggest drop in ranking, all moving down 3 positions from their 2024 ranks.
  • Kingston-Upon-Thames (ranked 10th) and Barking and Dagenham (ranked 22nd) had the biggest improvement in average rating, with an increase of 0.16. Their average ratings in 2024 were 4.32 and 3.95 respectively.
  • Newham, ranked 23rd in London, had the biggest decrease in average rating with a drop of 0.15. Its average rating in 2024 was 4.17.
  • Across the region, there were 36,383 premises analysed. This is an increase of 551 from 2024.
  • 22.13% of takeaways and sandwich shops in London scored a 0, 1, 2, or 3.
  • Across the region, 149 premises scored a 0.
  • Across London, 774 premises scored a 1.
  • The total number of premises scoring a 0, 1, 2, or 3 was 6,138.
  • 83.13% of all premises in London scored a 4 or a 5.
  • 83.55% of restaurants, cafes, and canteens in the region scored a 4 or a 5.
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Yorkshire and Humberside

5th In regional rankings
4.58 average score
  • Overall region change:
    • 2025: 4.58 - 2024: 4.57
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  • Rotherham, ranked 1st in Yorkshire and Humberside, has the highest rating of 4.78. The change in rating from 2024 was a decrease of 0.03.
  • Doncaster, ranked 13th, has the lowest rating of 4.33. The change in rating from 2024 was a decrease of 0.07.
  • Barnsley (ranked 4th) and Halifax (ranked 10th) had the biggest improvement in ranking, both moving up 4 positions from their 2024 ranks of 8th and 14th respectively.
  • York, which is now ranked 8th in the region, had the biggest drop in ranking, moving down 3 positions from its 2024 rank of 5th.
  • Ranked 10th, Halifax had the biggest improvement in average rating with an increase of 0.19. Its average rating in 2024 was 4.20.
  • York, ranked 8th in the region, had the biggest decrease in average rating with a drop of 0.11. Its average rating in 2024 was 4.64.
  • Across the region, there were 21,098 premises analysed. This is an increase of 47 from 2024.
  • 17.97% of takeaways and sandwich shops in Yorkshire and Humberside scored a 0, 1, 2, or 3.
  • Across the region, 21 premises scored a 0.
  • Across Yorkshire and Humberside, 280 premises scored a 1.
  • The total number of premises scoring a 0, 1, 2, or 3 was 2,166.
  • 89.73% of all premises in Yorkshire and Humberside scored a 4 or a 5.
  • 91.18% of restaurants, cafes, and canteens in the region scored a 4 or a 5.
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West Midlands

8th In regional rankings
4.45 average score
  • Overall region change:
    • 2025: 4.45 - 2024: 4.42
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  • Ranked 1st in the West Midlands, Newcastle-under-Lyme has the highest rating of 4.78. The change in rating from 2024 was an increase of 0.01.
  • Birmingham, ranked 17th, has the lowest rating of 4.11. The change in rating from 2024 was an increase of 0.03.
  • Nuneaton, which is now ranked 7th, had the biggest improvement in ranking, moving up 5 positions from its 2024 rank of 12th.
  • Ranked 10th in the region, Wolverhampton had the biggest drop in ranking, moving down 5 positions from its 2024 rank of 5th.
  • Nuneaton, ranked 7th, had the biggest improvement in average rating with an increase of 0.15. Its average rating in 2024 was 4.44.
  • Ranked 15th in the West Midlands, West Bromwich had the biggest decrease in average rating with a drop of 0.26. Its average rating in 2024 was 4.42.
  • Across the region, there were 18,082 premises analysed. This is an increase of 358 from 2024.
  • 24.30% of takeaways and sandwich shops in the West Midlands scored a 0, 1, 2, or 3.
  • Across the region, 60 premises scored a 0.
  • In the West Midlands, 425 premises scored a 1.
  • The total number of premises scoring a 0, 1, 2, or 3 was 2,737.
  • 84.86% of all premises in the West Midlands scored a 4 or a 5.
  • 86.57% of restaurants, cafes, and canteens in the region scored a 4 or a 5.
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North East

2nd In regional rankings
4.64 average score
  • Overall region change:
    • 2025: 4.64 - 2024: 4.62
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  • Stockton-on-Tees, ranked 1st in the North East, has the highest rating of 4.89. The change in rating from 2024 was an increase of 0.03.
  • Newcastle upon Tyne (ranked 6th) and South Shields (ranked 6th) have the lowest rating of 4.47. Their respective changes in rating from 2024 were -0.04 and +0.06.
  • Sunderland, which is now ranked 4th, had the biggest improvement in ranking, moving up 3 positions from its 2024 rank of 7th.
  • Darlington (ranked 3rd) and Gateshead (ranked 4th) had the biggest drop in ranking, both moving down 1 position. Their positions in 2024 were 2nd and 3rd respectively.
  • Ranked 4th in the region, Sunderland had the biggest improvement in average rating with an increase of 0.14. Its average rating in 2024 was 4.49.
  • Darlington (ranked 3rd) and Newcastle upon Tyne (ranked 6th) shared the biggest decrease in average rating, with a drop of 0.04. Their average ratings in 2024 were 4.83 and 4.51 respectively.
  • Across the region, there were 9,667 premises analysed. This is an increase of 103 from 2024.
  • 16.82% of takeaways and sandwich shops in the North East scored 0, 1, 2, or 3.
  • Across the region, 6 premises scored a 0.
  • In the North East, 73 premises scored a 1.
  • The total number of premises scoring a 0, 1, 2, or 3 was 867.
  • 91.03% of all premises in the North East scored a 4 or a 5.
  • 92.49% of restaurants, cafes, and canteens in the region scored a 4 or a 5.
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North West

6th In regional rankings
4.48 average score
  • Overall region change:
    • 2025: 4.48 - 2024: 4.46
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  • Southport, ranked 1st in the North West, has the highest rating of 4.95. The change in rating from 2024 was an increase of 0.04.
  • Bolton, ranked 17th, has the lowest rating of 4.08. The change in rating from 2024 was a decrease of 0.06.
  • Blackburn, which is now ranked 8th in the region, had the biggest improvement in ranking, moving up 4 positions from its 2024 rank of 12th.
  • Warrington, ranked 15th, had the biggest drop in ranking, moving down 9 positions from its 2024 rank of 6th.
  • Ranked 16th in the North West, Wigan had the biggest improvement in average rating with an increase of 0.17. Its average rating in 2024 was 3.92.
  • Bury (ranked 9th) and Warrington (ranked 15th) shared the biggest decrease in average rating, with a drop of 0.16. Their average ratings in 2024 were 4.56 and 4.46 respectively.
  • Across the region, there were 27,486 premises analysed. This is an increase of 316 from 2024.
  • 24.46% of takeaways and sandwich shops in the North West scored a 0, 1, 2, or 3.
  • Across the region, 71 premises scored a 0.
  • Across the North West, 520 premises scored a 1.
  • The total number of premises scoring a 0, 1, 2, or 3 was 3,782.
  • 86.24% of all premises in the North West scored a 4 or a 5.
  • 88.33% of restaurants, cafes, and canteens in the region scored a 4 or a 5.
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South East

4th In regional rankings
4.60 average score
  • Overall region change:
    • 2025: 4.60 - 2024: 4.61
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  • Hastings, ranked 1st in the South East, has the highest rating of 4.86. The change in rating from 2024 was an increase of 0.02.
  • Woking, ranked 20th in the region, has the lowest rating of 4.27. The change in rating from 2024 was a decrease of 0.14.
  • Chichester (ranked 3rd) and Crawley (ranked 4th) had the biggest improvement in ranking, both moving up 3 positions from their 2024 ranks of 6th and 7th respectively.
  • Ranked 18th, Reading had the biggest drop in ranking, moving down 6 positions from its 2024 rank of 12th.
  • Chichester, ranked 3rd in the South East, had the biggest improvement in average rating with an increase of 0.12. Its average rating in 2024 was 4.69.
  • Southampton (ranked 14th) and Woking (ranked 20th) had the biggest decrease in average rating, with a drop of 0.14. Their average ratings in 2024 were 4.61 and 4.41 respectively.
  • Across the region, there were 29,031 premises analysed. This is an increase of 134 from 2024.
  • 16.33% of takeaways and sandwich shops in the South East scored a 0, 1, 2, or 3.
  • Across the region, 42 premises scored a 0.
  • In the South East, 354 premises scored a 1.
  • The total number of premises scoring a 0, 1, 2, or 3 was 2,819.
  • 90.29% of all premises in the South East scored a 4 or a 5.
  • 91.37% of restaurants, cafes, and canteens in the region scored a 4 or a 5.
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South West

1st In regional rankings
4.67 average score
  • Overall region change:
    • 2025: 4.67 - 2024: 4.66
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  • Ranked 1st in the South West, Wells has the highest rating of 4.82. The change in rating from 2024 was an increase of 0.13.
  • Bath, ranked 11th, has the lowest rating of 4.33. The change in rating from 2024 was a decrease of 0.03.
  • Wells, which is now ranked 1st in the region, had the biggest improvement in ranking, moving up 3 positions from its 2024 rank of 4th.
  • Swindon, ranked 6th, had the biggest drop in ranking, moving down 3 positions from its 2024 rank of 3rd.
  • Ranked 1st in the South West, Wells had the biggest improvement in average rating with an increase of 0.13. Its average rating in 2024 was 4.69.
  • Swindon, ranked 6th in the region, had the biggest decrease in average rating with a drop of 0.12. Its average rating in 2024 was 4.74.
  • Across the region, there were 20,906 premises analysed. This is a decrease of 150 from 2024.
  • 13.77% of takeaways and sandwich shops in the South West scored a 0, 1, 2, or 3.
  • Across the region, 27 premises scored a 0.
  • Across the South West, 258 premises scored a 1.
  • The total number of premises scoring a 0, 1, 2, or 3 was 1,638.
  • 92.16% of all premises in the South West scored a 4 or a 5.
  • 93.30% of restaurants, cafes, and canteens in the region scored a 4 or a 5.
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Wales

7th In regional rankings
4.47 average score
  • Overall region change:
    • 2025: 4.47 - 2024: 4.45
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  • Wrexham, ranked 1st in Wales, has the highest rating of 4.90. The change in rating from 2024 was an increase of 0.09.
  • Blaenau Gwent, ranked 19th, has the lowest rating of 3.94. The change in rating from 2024 was an increase of 0.03.
  • Newport, which is now ranked 8th in the region, had the biggest improvement in ranking, moving up 4 positions from its 2024 rank of 12th.
  • Powys (ranked 10th) and Neath Port Talbot (ranked 11th) had the biggest drop in ranking, both moving down 2 positions from their 2024 ranks.
  • Ranked 14th in Wales, Torfaen had the biggest improvement in average rating with an increase of 0.19. Its average rating in 2024 was 4.16.
  • Pembrokeshire, ranked 8th, had the biggest decrease in average rating with a drop of 0.04. Its average rating in 2024 was 4.56.
  • Across the region, there were 13,023 premises analysed. This is a decrease of 92 from 2024.
  • 25.30% of takeaways and sandwich shops in Wales scored a 0, 1, 2, or 3.
  • Across the region, 36 premises scored a 0.
  • In Wales, 696 premises scored a 1.
  • The total number of premises scoring a 0, 1, 2, or 3 was 5,217.
  • 86.65% of all premises in Wales scored a 4 or a 5.
  • 89.25% of restaurants, cafes, and canteens in the region scored a 4 or a 5.
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Northern Ireland

2nd In regional rankings
4.64 average score
  • Overall region change:
    • 2025: 4.64 - 2024: 4.64
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  • Lisburn and Castlereagh City, ranked 1st in Northern Ireland, has the highest rating of 4.79. The change in rating from 2024 was an increase of 0.02.
  • Belfast City, ranked 10th, has the lowest rating of 4.46. The change in rating from 2024 was a decrease of 0.06.
  • Mid Ulster (ranked 2nd) and Antrim and Newtownabbey (ranked 5th) had the biggest improvement in ranking, both moving up 1 position from their 2024 ranks.
  • Ranked 9th in the region, Fermanagh and Omagh had the biggest drop in ranking, moving down 4 positions from its 2024 rank of 5th.
  • Antrim and Newtownabbey, ranked 5th, had the biggest improvement in average rating with an increase of 0.11. Its average rating in 2024 was 4.57.
  • Belfast City, ranked 10th in Northern Ireland, had the biggest decrease in average rating with a drop of 0.06. Its average rating in 2024 was 4.52.
  • Across the region, there were 6,444 premises analysed. This is a decrease of 12 from 2024.
  • 16.70% of takeaways and sandwich shops in Northern Ireland scored a 0, 1, 2, or 3.
  • Across the region, 3 premises scored a 0.
  • In Northern Ireland, 108 premises scored a 1.
  • The total number of premises scoring a 0, 1, 2, or 3 was 1,602.
  • 91.71% of all premises in Northern Ireland scored a 4 or a 5.
  • 93.35% of restaurants, cafes, and canteens in the region scored a 4 or a 5.
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Scotland

N/A In regional rankings
N/A average score

In Scotland, businesses are assessed by an EHO and receive a ‘Pass’, or an ‘Improvement required’ notice. The below stats are the percentage of businesses that received a ‘Pass’.

  • Overall region change:
    • 2025: 92.22% - 2024: 92.5%
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  • Ranked 1st in Scotland, South Ayrshire has the highest pass rate of 99.00%, although this was a decrease of -0.81% from 2024.
  • Highland, ranked 32nd, has the lowest pass rate in the country at 77.88%, which was a slight improvement of +0.04% from the previous year.
  • North Lanarkshire, which is now ranked 7th, had the biggest improvement in ranking, moving up 10 positions from its 2024 rank of 17th.
  • The biggest drop in ranking was experienced by Angus, which fell 12 places from 12th in 2024 to 24th.
  • The most significant improvement in pass rate was seen in the Shetland Islands, which improved by +3.60% to achieve a pass rate of 78.31%.
  • Angus also saw the biggest decrease in its pass rate, which fell by -3.94% to 91.30%.
  • Glasgow is ranked 27th with a pass rate of 88.47%, a decrease of -0.82% from 2024.
  • Edinburgh is ranked 26th with a pass rate of 89.68%, representing a decrease of -0.63% from the previous year.
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Free food hygiene resource pack

We’ve seen how vital the FHRS has been to improving food hygiene ratings across the UK in the last 15 years. A good food hygiene rating indicates that you are compliant with food regulations and that your establishment is a safe and hygienic place to visit. It also showcases your commitment to food safety to potential customers.

To support food businesses across the UK to attain and maintain a rating of 5, indicating that hygiene standards are very good, High Speed Training has developed a free Food Hygiene Rating Scheme Resource Pack.

Developed in partnership with EHOs, this pack includes detailed information on the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme scoring system, guidance on what a visiting EHO will be looking out for, and highlights common areas where food operators encounter issues. The pack also contains more than 20 free downloadable resources, including posters and checklists to help you ace your next inspection.

Download the free pack

For consumers: 15 years of transparency

Your role in food safety

While it's a legal duty for food businesses to operate hygienically, checking these ratings to ensure that the premises are maintaining good standards of hygiene remains the responsibility of the consumer. Fortunately, checking ratings is straightforward - you can easily check online via the FSA website, and some businesses display their rating in-store.

However, in England, businesses are not legally required to display ratings, unlike Northern Ireland and Wales. The FSA's 2024 audit found that 28% of establishments in England chose not to display their rating, contrasting sharply with NI (9%) and Wales (7%). Notably, businesses with a top rating of 5 were far more likely to display their sticker (82%) compared to lower-rated ones. This highlights the importance of staying informed and checking food hygiene ratings online as the information may not always be readily available in person.

Keeping yourself safe from food poisoning

Food poisoning, caused by contaminated food, can lead to serious illness. This can happen if food is not cooked or reheated thoroughly, if it is stored incorrectly, or if it is left out for too long. It can also occur if food for consumption is handled by someone who is ill or has not washed their hands.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported a notable increase in confirmed laboratory reports for these pathogens. In 2024, provisional data showed 70,379 laboratory reports for Campylobacter and 10,388 for Salmonella in England, a significant increase compared to previous years.

These figures emphasise the importance of checking food hygiene ratings as by doing so you are taking an important step to safeguard your health.

Only one-third of the rating is based on the hygienic handling of food

When you see a food hygiene rating, it's important to understand that the rating is based on three equally weighted areas: Food Safety and Hygiene Procedures, Structural Requirements and Confidence in Management.

This comprehensive approach means a lower rating doesn't always indicate unhygienic food preparation. For instance, issues like peeling paint could impact a score, even if food handling is excellent. That's why we strongly encourage checking online for a detailed breakdown of an establishment's rating. This transparency allows you to understand the full picture and make informed decisions.

Your power to choose

The call for the mandatory display of food hygiene rating stickers in England continues to gain momentum. Your active participation in using these ratings and choosing businesses with high standards sends the clear message that food hygiene matters to you.

As we celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, take the time to be an informed consumer. Before your next meal out or takeaway order, quickly check the business's rating on the FSA website. It empowers you to make safer choices and support businesses that consistently prioritise excellent hygiene.

The business case for food hygiene

Since the FSA introduced the FHRS 15 years ago, there has been continued improvement in standards of food hygiene with the added transparency enabling the public to see which businesses take hygiene seriously and are committed to safety and quality.

Consumer trust

With food hygiene ratings having a significant impact on customer decisions, taking food hygiene seriously isn’t just about ticking boxes to meet compliance standards, it’s a key driver of customer trust and long-term business success. The FSA has reported that 45% of food business operators in England have found that displaying a 5 rating have noticed a positive impact on their business. There are similar figures in Wales, and Northern Ireland, where 56% of businesses have reported similar findings.

However, a low rating can damage your reputation and lead to a loss of business. It was also found that 64% of customers consider cleanliness and hygiene when choosing where to eat and 82% of customers would avoid any takeaway or restaurant with a hygiene rating of 2 or lower.

A key takeaway

According to our data, 1 in 5 takeaways in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have a hygiene rating of 3 or lower, although this rises to an incredible 37% in some cities. Compare this to only 11% of restaurants and 4% of hotels, and you can see that many takeaways drastically need to improve their standards.

Achieving and maintaining a top rating of 5 requires a consistent and proactive approach. Make sure you understand the FHRS framework, avoid these 10 most common food hygiene inspection mistakes and implement consistent best practice to ensure long term success.

Whether you’re aiming to maintain a 5 or improve your current rating, our EHO approved Free Food Hygiene Rating Scheme Resource Pack is a practical guide designed to help you navigate the scheme and your inspection with expert tips and insight. It includes a wide range of resources and advice on practices that you can easily implement across your business to ensure long-term compliance and success. Alternatively, explore our range of CPD certified and RoSPA approved Food Hygiene Courses, endorsed by the Institute of Hospitality.

Methodology

Data was downloaded in May 2025 from the official Food Standards Agency 'UK food hygiene rating data API' which details the overall food hygiene ratings, rating components, and inspection results of food establishments across the UK.

The Food Standards Agency data attributes each establishment with one of fourteen business types. Of these business types, four were selected for inclusion. These were:

  • Restaurants/Cafes/Canteens
  • Takeaways/Sandwich Shops
  • Pubs/Bars/Nightclubs
  • Hotels/Bed & Breakfasts/Guest Houses

After filtering, if a business did not have a current rating or an inspection result then the entry was omitted from the analysis.

This resulted in a filtered total of businesses, equalling 240,530 establishments that fell within these categories and which were then used for the overall ranking analysis.

The regions selected for analysis in this report are the same twelve regions as used by the Food Standards Agency, and so businesses were split according to the region associated with their business.

The cities and towns being compared were selected from records held by the Office for National Statistics and the National Archives.

To match the food hygiene ratings provided for businesses by the Food Standards Agency we performed postcode lookups through the use of an online database, allowing us to match the postcodes of businesses with their closest major city or town, and the major city or town with their region. If a business did not have a valid postcode, then the entry was omitted from our analysis.

Following this, we amalgamated the food hygiene ratings of each town and city to provide an aggregate rating of food hygiene ratings for an area.

Following the data download, and after cities and towns were matched to rated businesses by postcode, several steps were taken to ensure the data was clean and fit for purpose.

In several instances, to ensure that the data was of interest to certain regions, the local authorities (as defined by the Food Standards Agency) of a region were used to split a region into further areas instead of using a city/town split. However, to provide clarity, in the overall rankings only cities and towns are listed.

As mentioned above, entries in the data downloaded from the Food Standards Agency without a valid postcode were omitted from analysis.

Following the cleaning of the data, several lists were created with cities/towns in each region ranked according to their mean food hygiene ratings and then subsequently ranked according to their overall rank in the UK - leading to the lists you are presented with here.

Food Standards Agency food hygiene ratings information, data and services are subject to the terms of the Open Government Licence (OGL).

The ratings are subject to change as they are regularly updated to reflect the standards found when a business is inspected by a local authority food safety officer.

Our study contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

High Speed Training would like to thank the Food Standards Agency and the Office for National Statistics.

For press and media enquires, please contact Dan Raymond, PR Manager at High Speed Training, at daniel.raymond@
highspeedtraining.co.uk

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