FHRS Scores Broken Down: What Affects Your Food Hygiene Rating

Running a food business in the UK means living with your food hygiene rating. Customers see it. Inspectors care about it. And it can feel confusing if you don’t know how the score is worked out.

This guide breaks down how FHRS scores work, what inspectors look for and the common questions small food businesses ask. No jargon. No scare tactics. Just clear help you can actually use.

What is FHRS?

FHRS stands for the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme. It’s run by the Food Standards Agency and used by local authorities across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The scheme gives food businesses a rating from 0 to 5 based on a food hygiene inspection.

You’ll usually see the score on the door, online listings and council websites. Customers use it to decide where to eat.

What do FHRS scores mean?

Your rating shows how well you meet food hygiene law on the day of inspection.

Here’s what the scores mean in plain terms:

5 – Very good
Everything is done right. Risks are well controlled. Paperwork is in place.

4 – Good
Mostly strong standards. A few small issues but nothing major.

3 – Generally satisfactory
Legal standards are met. Improvements are needed.

2 – Improvement necessary
Some rules aren’t being followed. Risks are starting to show.

1 – Major improvement necessary
Serious problems. High risk to food safety.

0 – Urgent improvement necessary
Immediate risk. Enforcement action is likely.

A lower score doesn’t always mean unsafe food. It often means systems aren’t working properly or records are missing.

How is an FHRS score broken down?

Inspectors don’t guess your score. They assess three main areas. Each one matters.

1. Food hygiene and safety practices

This is about how food is handled day to day.

Inspectors look at things like:

• Safe food storage
• Cooking and reheating
• Cooling food properly
• Cleaning and sanitising
• Cross contamination controls
• Personal hygiene

For example, raw meat stored above cooked food or poor hand washing can pull your score down fast.

This area carries a lot of weight. Even one serious issue can lower your rating.

2. Structural compliance

This is the condition of your premises.

Inspectors check:

• Clean floors, walls and ceilings
• Suitable hand wash sinks
• Working equipment
• Pest control
• Lighting and ventilation

It’s not about looking fancy. It’s about being easy to clean and safe to work in.

A tired kitchen isn’t always a problem. A dirty or damaged one is.

3. Management and food safety systems

This is where many businesses lose points.

Inspectors want to see that you understand food safety and manage it properly.

They check for:

• A food safety management system
• HACCP based controls
• Staff training records
• Daily checks and logs
• Temperature records
• Cleaning schedules

You might be doing the right things. If you can’t show it, it still counts against you.

How inspectors decide the final score

Each area gets a risk rating. These are combined to give your final FHRS score.

Good hygiene with poor paperwork won’t get you a 5.
Great records with unsafe practices won’t either.

Inspectors look at how confident they are that you’ll keep food safe in the future. Not just on inspection day.

Common questions about FHRS scores

How often will I be inspected?

It depends on risk and your last score.

High risk or low scoring businesses are inspected more often. A 5 rated café may only see an inspector every couple of years.

Can I ask for a re inspection?

Yes. If you’ve made improvements, you can request a re inspection for a fee.

You’ll need to show real changes. Not just a tidy up.

How long does a new score take to show?

After inspection, scores are usually published within a few weeks.

If you’ve appealed, it won’t go live until the appeal is resolved.

Can I appeal my score?

Yes. If you think the score is unfair, you can appeal within 14 days.

Appeals must be based on facts, not feelings. Missing records or unclear controls are hard to argue.

Do I have to display my rating?

In England it’s optional but strongly encouraged. In Wales and Northern Ireland it’s compulsory.

Even where it’s optional, customers expect to see it.

Does one bad day ruin my score?

Inspectors assess what they see on the day. But they also look at patterns.

If records show ongoing checks and good controls, a small slip may not hurt as much.

If there’s no system, even a good day can score poorly.

Why small businesses often lose marks

Most low scores aren’t about dirty kitchens.

They’re about:

• Missing records
• Out of date food safety packs
• No proof of staff training
• Incomplete temperature logs
• Cleaning not written down

These are fixable problems. But only if you stay on top of them daily.

Simple ways to protect your FHRS score

You don’t need to overcomplicate things.

Try this:

• Do daily checks at quiet times
• Keep records short and clear
• Train staff little and often
• Fix small issues before they grow
• Treat food safety as routine, not paperwork

Consistency matters more than perfection.

FHRS scores and your business reputation

Customers trust the score. A lot.

A 5 builds confidence before they even taste the food. A low score can stop footfall instantly.

Improving your rating isn’t just about inspectors. It’s about protecting your income.

Making food safety easier day to day

Food safety shouldn’t steal your time or stress you out.

The right systems make checks quicker, records clearer and inspections smoother. That’s where digital tools can really help.

If you want an easier way to manage food safety, keep records in one place and feel more confident about inspections, have a look at how the Food Safety App can support you and save time every day.