UK food hygiene league tables
Which councils, chains and kinds of business score worst — and best — for food hygiene across the whole UK, ranked from the Food Standards Agency's own published data.
485,253 rated food businesses across the UK · 78% hold a 5 · 14,464 (3%) are rated 2 or below.
Figures as of 10 July 2026, updated monthly from the Food Standards Agency's data.
Councils with the most low-rated businesses
By share of rated businesses holding a 0, 1 or 2. Councils with fewer than 50 rated businesses are left out, as small numbers make percentages misleading. Tap a column heading to sort.
| Council | Rated | 2 or below | % low | % rated 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newham | 2,432 | 344 | 14.1% | 49.1% |
| Ealing | 3,049 | 375 | 12.3% | 58.2% |
| Waltham Forest | 1,863 | 222 | 11.9% | 50.9% |
| Blackburn | 1,072 | 118 | 11.0% | 68.3% |
| Birmingham | 8,170 | 786 | 9.6% | 65.9% |
| Enfield | 2,114 | 197 | 9.3% | 59.1% |
| Knowsley | 690 | 64 | 9.3% | 65.5% |
| Bolton | 2,199 | 190 | 8.6% | 54.9% |
| Barking and Dagenham | 1,196 | 100 | 8.4% | 54.9% |
| Hillingdon | 2,007 | 164 | 8.2% | 64.1% |
| Portsmouth | 1,534 | 122 | 8.0% | 63.9% |
| Camden | 3,372 | 268 | 7.9% | 59.1% |
| Wigan | 2,330 | 177 | 7.6% | 53.9% |
| Liverpool | 3,381 | 249 | 7.4% | 67.2% |
| Rochdale | 1,494 | 109 | 7.3% | 73.0% |
| Redbridge | 1,781 | 127 | 7.1% | 66.0% |
| Walsall | 1,788 | 117 | 6.5% | 58.9% |
| Westminster | 5,232 | 331 | 6.3% | 70.0% |
| Lambeth | 2,397 | 150 | 6.3% | 61.5% |
| Reading | 1,362 | 85 | 6.2% | 64.7% |
| Blaenau Gwent | 593 | 37 | 6.2% | 50.1% |
| Ashfield | 854 | 53 | 6.2% | 78.2% |
| Pendle | 764 | 47 | 6.2% | 70.7% |
| Harrow | 1,550 | 95 | 6.1% | 61.2% |
| Wyre | 901 | 54 | 6.0% | 62.6% |
| Rugby | 819 | 49 | 6.0% | 72.8% |
| Great Yarmouth | 1,027 | 61 | 5.9% | 71.2% |
| Oldham | 1,679 | 98 | 5.8% | 74.7% |
| Salford | 1,881 | 108 | 5.7% | 64.9% |
| Islington | 2,406 | 136 | 5.7% | 63.8% |
The kinds of business that score worst
By share rated 2 or below, across the UK. Tap a column heading to sort.
| Type of business | Rated | 2 or below | % low |
|---|---|---|---|
| Takeaway/sandwich shop | 52,234 | 2,986 | 5.7% |
| Retailers - other | 87,909 | 4,556 | 5.2% |
| Importers/Exporters | 393 | 14 | 3.6% |
| Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 118,321 | 4,079 | 3.4% |
| Pub/bar/nightclub | 44,017 | 992 | 2.3% |
| Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 14,203 | 295 | 2.1% |
| Manufacturers/packers | 7,637 | 142 | 1.9% |
| Distributors/Transporters | 2,530 | 47 | 1.9% |
| Mobile caterer | 23,449 | 310 | 1.3% |
| Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 10,927 | 129 | 1.2% |
| Other catering premises | 55,336 | 527 | 1.0% |
| Hospitals/Childcare/Caring Premises | 35,809 | 254 | 0.7% |
| School/college/university | 31,297 | 130 | 0.4% |
| Farmers/growers | 1,189 | 3 | 0.3% |
The chains with the most low-rated branches
By share of branches rated 2 or below. See every chain in full → Tap a column heading to sort.
| Chain | UK sites | 2 or below |
|---|---|---|
| Nisa | 724 | 52 |
| Costcutter | 502 | 32 |
| Premier Stores | 542 | 29 |
| Budgens | 239 | 15 |
| Frankie & Benny's | 45 | 2 |
| Londis | 1,175 | 47 |
| B&M | 789 | 19 |
| Spar | 1,290 | 29 |
| Caffè Nero | 593 | 14 |
| Morrisons | 1,752 | 23 |
| One Stop | 1,081 | 15 |
| Harvester | 77 | 1 |
| Papa John's | 425 | 5 |
| Subway | 1,960 | 14 |
| Taco Bell | 157 | 1 |
| Iceland | 820 | 5 |
| Poundland | 535 | 3 |
| Pizza Hut | 423 | 2 |
| WHSmith | 239 | 1 |
| Home Bargains | 608 | 2 |
| McDonald's | 1,492 | 5 |
| Tesco | 3,291 | 10 |
| Lidl | 1,049 | 3 |
| Waitrose | 342 | 1 |
| Nando's | 495 | 1 |
| Aldi | 1,062 | 2 |
| Burger King | 557 | 1 |
| Asda | 1,290 | 2 |
| Boots | 1,309 | 1 |
| Marks & Spencer | 688 | 1 |
Councils where businesses score best
By share of rated businesses holding a 5. Tap a column heading to sort.
| Council | Rated | % rated 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Bassetlaw | 1,002 | 97.6% |
| Wrexham | 1,168 | 96.1% |
| Dorset | 3,988 | 95.5% |
| Thanet | 1,480 | 95.5% |
| Stockton On Tees | 1,433 | 95.0% |
| Forest of Dean | 687 | 94.8% |
| Ipswich | 1,044 | 94.7% |
| South Ribble | 728 | 94.6% |
| Chichester | 1,321 | 94.6% |
| West Oxfordshire | 1,013 | 94.5% |
| Redcar and Cleveland | 1,147 | 93.9% |
| Lincoln City | 1,014 | 93.6% |
| Cotswold | 1,009 | 93.2% |
| North Kesteven | 925 | 93.0% |
| Harborough | 732 | 92.8% |
| Mid and East Antrim | 1,011 | 92.6% |
| Tandridge | 608 | 92.4% |
| Fenland | 671 | 92.1% |
| Castle Point | 491 | 92.1% |
| Chelmsford | 1,447 | 91.7% |
| Gedling | 711 | 91.7% |
| Lisburn and Castlereagh City | 914 | 91.6% |
| Mole Valley | 709 | 91.4% |
| Hastings | 821 | 91.2% |
| Isles of Scilly | 100 | 91.0% |
| West Suffolk | 1,483 | 91.0% |
| Havant | 860 | 90.9% |
| Hartlepool | 741 | 90.7% |
| South Hams | 854 | 90.6% |
| Broxbourne | 670 | 90.6% |
Method, and how to cite this
Every figure comes from the Food Standards Agency's published Food Hygiene Rating Scheme data, counted across every UK local authority and 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.
Scotland uses a pass-or-improve scheme rather than a score out of five, so Scottish businesses are not included in these numeric rankings.
You are welcome to cite these tables. Please credit HygieneCheck with a link to this page, and note the date you took the figures, as they update each month. Journalists: see the press & data page →