Press & data
Writing about food hygiene? Everything below is free to use, from the Food Standards Agency's open data. Please credit HygieneCheck with a link.
Headline figures - as of 7 September 2026
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- 487,311 food businesses across the UK hold a food hygiene rating.
- 78% hold the top rating of 5.
- 14,755 (3%) are rated 2 or below, meaning an inspector found problems they are required to fix.
- 907 hold a 0, the lowest rating the scheme gives.
- The kind of business most likely to score low is Takeaway/sandwich shop.
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New figures from the Food Standards Agency show that 14,755 food businesses across the UK, around 3%, are rated 2 or below for food hygiene, meaning an inspector found problems the business is required to fix. Of those, 907 hold a 0, the lowest rating the scheme gives. Diners can check any restaurant, takeaway or shop's current rating for free at hygienechecker.co.uk.
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Source: HygieneCheck analysis of Food Standards Agency data, September 2026 (hygienechecker.co.uk).
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Local angle: your area
The councils with the highest share of businesses rated 2 or below - a ready local story. Each links to that council's full page.
| Council | Rated | 2 or below | % low |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newham | 2,431 | 345 | 14.2% |
| Ealing | 3,102 | 391 | 12.6% |
| Waltham Forest | 1,859 | 220 | 11.8% |
| Blackburn | 1,099 | 118 | 10.7% |
| Birmingham | 8,561 | 872 | 10.2% |
| Enfield | 2,135 | 207 | 9.7% |
| Barking and Dagenham | 1,214 | 107 | 8.8% |
| Knowsley | 698 | 61 | 8.7% |
| Bolton | 2,216 | 191 | 8.6% |
| Portsmouth | 1,558 | 130 | 8.3% |
| Wigan | 2,359 | 190 | 8.1% |
| Hillingdon | 2,025 | 161 | 8.0% |
| Camden | 3,356 | 264 | 7.9% |
| Liverpool | 3,406 | 265 | 7.8% |
| Rochdale | 1,514 | 112 | 7.4% |
| Redbridge | 1,803 | 128 | 7.1% |
| Reading | 1,336 | 91 | 6.8% |
| Westminster | 5,280 | 344 | 6.5% |
| Rugby | 829 | 54 | 6.5% |
| Walsall | 1,834 | 119 | 6.5% |
| Ashfield | 866 | 55 | 6.4% |
| Blaenau Gwent | 589 | 37 | 6.3% |
| Lambeth | 2,419 | 151 | 6.2% |
| Great Yarmouth | 1,019 | 63 | 6.2% |
| Harrow | 1,560 | 93 | 6.0% |
| Salford | 1,882 | 108 | 5.7% |
| Wyre | 910 | 52 | 5.7% |
| Oldham | 1,686 | 96 | 5.7% |
| Tower Hamlets | 2,871 | 161 | 5.6% |
| Islington | 2,406 | 134 | 5.6% |
Method & contact
All figures are counted from the Food Standards Agency's published Food Hygiene Rating Scheme data, across every UK local authority, refreshed monthly. A rating is set by the local council on an unannounced inspection and reflects the weakest of three areas: food handling, the condition of the premises, and confidence in management. Ratings can change at the next inspection, and a business has a right to reply. Councils with fewer than 50 rated businesses are excluded from rankings, as small numbers make percentages misleading. Scotland uses a pass-or-improve scheme and is not included in the numeric rankings.
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