Rating
When food businesses in Westminster City Council are inspected by officers, they are given one of five ratings. This ranges from zero, (which means ‘urgent improvement necessary’) to a top rating of five (‘very good’). The FHRS scheme covers restaurants, cafes, takeaways, hotels, mobile caterers, some shops selling food and all pubs. The rating is usually displayed at their premises and is available online so you can make more informed choices about where to buy and eat food.
Food hygiene ratings are posted on the Food Standards Agency website and businesses can also choose to display their ratings on the premises for customers to see:
- 5 – hygiene standards are very good
- 4 – hygiene standards are good
- 3 – hygiene standards are generally satisfactory
- 2 – some improvement is necessary
- 1 – major improvement is necessary
- 0 – urgent improvement is required
Finding a rating
Ratings can be displayed in an obvious location within the business’ window or door. You can also ask a member of staff what rating was given at the last inspection. Putting a hygiene rating on show is a good advertisement for businesses that meet the requirements of food hygiene law. If the rating is low, you can then choose to buy your food or meal from a place with a higher rating.
To find a rating for a business you can:
- search for a business on the Food Standards Agency website
- download the FSA mobile app for Android, iPhone or Windows 8
What the rating covers
Ratings are a snapshot of the standards of food hygiene found at the time of inspection. It is the responsibility of the business to comply with food hygiene law at all times.
A food hygiene rating is awarded based on 3 key areas:
- how hygienically the food is handled – how it is prepared, cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored
- the physical condition of the business –including cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation, pest control and other facilities
- how the business manages ways of keeping food safe, looking at processes, training and systems to ensure good hygiene is maintained. The officer can then assess the level of confidence in standards being maintained in the future.
Understanding ratings
The rating shows how well the business is doing overall, based on standards found at the time of inspection. The ratings can be found online and on stickers which are displayed at business premises. The back of the sticker and the online rating will also show the date of the inspection by the local authority’s food safety officer.