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.
487,311 rated food businesses across the UK · 78% hold a 5 · 14,755 (3%) are rated 2 or below.
Figures as of 7 September 2026, updated monthly from the Food Standards Agency's data. See the national picture →
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 | 2,431 | 345 | 14.2% | 49.0% |
| Ealing | 3,102 | 391 | 12.6% | 58.4% |
| Waltham Forest | 1,859 | 220 | 11.8% | 50.5% |
| Blackburn | 1,099 | 118 | 10.7% | 69.0% |
| Birmingham | 8,561 | 872 | 10.2% | 64.9% |
| Enfield | 2,135 | 207 | 9.7% | 59.0% |
| Barking and Dagenham | 1,214 | 107 | 8.8% | 55.8% |
| Knowsley | 698 | 61 | 8.7% | 65.6% |
| Bolton | 2,216 | 191 | 8.6% | 56.6% |
| Portsmouth | 1,558 | 130 | 8.3% | 62.8% |
| Wigan | 2,359 | 190 | 8.1% | 53.9% |
| Hillingdon | 2,025 | 161 | 8.0% | 63.3% |
| Camden | 3,356 | 264 | 7.9% | 58.7% |
| Liverpool | 3,406 | 265 | 7.8% | 66.1% |
| Rochdale | 1,514 | 112 | 7.4% | 73.3% |
| Redbridge | 1,803 | 128 | 7.1% | 66.6% |
| Reading | 1,336 | 91 | 6.8% | 63.9% |
| Westminster | 5,280 | 344 | 6.5% | 70.1% |
| Rugby | 829 | 54 | 6.5% | 71.7% |
| Walsall | 1,834 | 119 | 6.5% | 59.4% |
| Ashfield | 866 | 55 | 6.4% | 78.6% |
| Blaenau Gwent | 589 | 37 | 6.3% | 50.4% |
| Lambeth | 2,419 | 151 | 6.2% | 61.4% |
| Great Yarmouth | 1,019 | 63 | 6.2% | 72.3% |
| Harrow | 1,560 | 93 | 6.0% | 61.4% |
| Salford | 1,882 | 108 | 5.7% | 65.3% |
| Wyre | 910 | 52 | 5.7% | 62.4% |
| Oldham | 1,686 | 96 | 5.7% | 76.3% |
| Tower Hamlets | 2,871 | 161 | 5.6% | 72.1% |
| Islington | 2,406 | 134 | 5.6% | 64.3% |
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 | 52,255 | 3,015 | 5.8% |
| Retailers - other | 88,362 | 4,626 | 5.2% |
| Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 119,175 | 4,208 | 3.5% |
| Importers/Exporters | 400 | 12 | 3.0% |
| Pub/bar/nightclub | 44,039 | 996 | 2.3% |
| Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 14,263 | 315 | 2.2% |
| Manufacturers/packers | 7,734 | 144 | 1.9% |
| Distributors/Transporters | 2,572 | 47 | 1.8% |
| Hotel/bed & breakfast/guest house | 10,905 | 140 | 1.3% |
| Mobile caterer | 23,846 | 306 | 1.3% |
| Other catering premises | 56,037 | 543 | 1.0% |
| Hospitals/Childcare/Caring Premises | 35,888 | 260 | 0.7% |
| School/college/university | 30,613 | 140 | 0.5% |
| Farmers/growers | 1,222 | 3 | 0.2% |
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 | 54 |
| Costcutter | 494 | 35 |
| Premier Stores | 547 | 31 |
| Londis | 1,188 | 56 |
| Budgens | 240 | 12 |
| Spar | 1,269 | 30 |
| Frankie & Benny's | 45 | 1 |
| B&M | 790 | 18 |
| Caffè Nero | 591 | 11 |
| Morrisons | 1,698 | 23 |
| One Stop | 1,076 | 15 |
| Bella Italia | 76 | 1 |
| Harvester | 77 | 1 |
| Pizza Hut | 414 | 4 |
| Subway | 1,962 | 18 |
| Papa John's | 427 | 4 |
| Poundland | 524 | 3 |
| Five Guys | 188 | 1 |
| WHSmith | 236 | 1 |
| Iceland | 817 | 4 |
| Asda | 1,288 | 5 |
| Tesco | 3,301 | 12 |
| Home Bargains | 613 | 2 |
| Boots | 1,307 | 2 |
| Lidl | 1,049 | 3 |
| McDonald's | 1,496 | 3 |
| Nando's | 496 | 1 |
| Aldi | 1,069 | 2 |
| Co-op | 2,375 | 4 |
| Costa Coffee | 2,624 | 4 |
Councils where businesses score best
By share of rated businesses holding a 5. Tap a column heading to sort.
| Council | Rated | % rated 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Bassetlaw | 996 | 97.7% |
| Wrexham | 1,172 | 95.8% |
| Thanet | 1,502 | 95.5% |
| Stockton On Tees | 1,450 | 95.5% |
| Dorset | 4,026 | 95.4% |
| Ipswich | 1,047 | 94.7% |
| West Oxfordshire | 1,017 | 94.6% |
| Chichester | 1,304 | 94.6% |
| Forest of Dean | 691 | 94.5% |
| South Ribble | 724 | 94.5% |
| Redcar and Cleveland | 1,147 | 94.1% |
| Cotswold | 1,017 | 93.6% |
| Tandridge | 605 | 93.4% |
| Lincoln City | 1,019 | 93.3% |
| North Kesteven | 917 | 93.1% |
| Mid and East Antrim | 1,015 | 93.1% |
| Isles of Scilly | 100 | 93.0% |
| Mole Valley | 706 | 92.6% |
| Gedling | 714 | 92.3% |
| Castle Point | 488 | 92.2% |
| Fenland | 673 | 92.0% |
| Lisburn and Castlereagh City | 857 | 91.7% |
| Chelmsford | 1,456 | 91.7% |
| Harborough | 721 | 91.7% |
| Hastings | 848 | 91.2% |
| Broxbourne | 673 | 91.1% |
| Havant | 864 | 90.7% |
| South Hams | 863 | 90.7% |
| Northumberland | 3,107 | 90.6% |
| Hartlepool | 741 | 90.3% |
Biggest movers since last month
Councils whose share of businesses rated 2 or below changed most since our previous monthly snapshot. A rise means more low-rated businesses.
| Council | Was % low | Now % low | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runnymede | 1.3% | 1.7% | +0.3 |
| Stevenage | 1.8% | 2.0% | +0.2 |
| Cheshire West and Chester | 2.7% | 2.8% | +0.1 |
| Newham | 14.3% | 14.2% | -0.1 |
| Barking and Dagenham | 8.8% | 8.8% | +0.1 |
| Enfield | 9.7% | 9.7% | +0.0 |
| Coventry | 2.3% | 2.4% | +0.0 |
| Lambeth | 6.2% | 6.2% | +0.0 |
| Bolton | 8.6% | 8.6% | +0.0 |
| Powys | 2.9% | 2.9% | +0.0 |
| Belfast City | 2.3% | 2.3% | +0.0 |
| Merthyr Tydfil | 2.1% | 2.1% | +0.0 |
| Rochdale | 7.4% | 7.4% | -0.0 |
| Bexley | 3.6% | 3.6% | -0.0 |
| Kingston-Upon-Thames | 3.6% | 3.6% | -0.0 |
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 →