Food Hygiene and Safety

Hygiene ratings & complaints​​

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Inspection information for Business

Inspections will assess compliance against 3 key areas;

• Structure and cleanliness
• Food Hygiene practices and procedures
• Confidence in management controls

At the end of the inspection the officer will assign the premises a score, this score is used to determine the food hygiene rating (i.e. 0 to 5) and the frequency of the next inspection. Higher risk premises (i.e. those with a low hygiene rating score) are inspected more often.

The rating is based on the last Food Hygiene Inspection. However it is possible that a premises could improve or deteriorate between inspections.

Display of certificates and window stickers​

Although all scores will be published on line, it is not compulsory for a business to display the score on their premises. However the government are considering proposals to make the display of the score a legal requirement.

All businesses will be provided with a certificate and window sticker indicating their score. We are encouraging all businesses who achieve a score of 3, 4 or 5 to display their certificate or sticker. These premises are at least broadly compliant with the law and consumers should be confident eating out there.

Right of appeal

Within the new scheme all food businesses will have the right to appeal their rating if they believe it is wrong or unfair. Initially you should appeal informally to the inspecting officer. Their contact details will be provided on the letter accompanying your inspection report. If the dispute is not resolved you can then appeal formally to a senior officer. A form will be provided for the formal appeal.

This formal appeal must be made within 14 days of you being notified of your score. If you do not appeal within 14 days the score will be published on the website.

Right to request a re-inspection​

If you believe that you have addressed the matters identified during your original inspection, you have the right to request a re-inspection and a review of your rating score. You should make your request for a re-inspection/rating informally to the inspecting officer whose phone number and email will appear on your original inspection letter. The re-inspection/rating review process will be outlined to you at the time of your request. The inspecting officer will send you out a form to apply for a reinspection.

A fee will be charged for all re-inspections requested under the National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme. This fee will need to be paid online before the re-inspection is carried out.

Once we have received your form and payment we will write to confirm your re-inspection request. Your re-inspection will then be carried within 3 months of your request. Please be aware all re-inspection visits involve a full unannounced inspection and so depending on the standards observed your rating score could either go up, down or remain the same. You will be notified of any revised rating score within two weeks of the re-inspection. There is no longer a limit to the number of re-inspection requests you can submit but each request must be made formally in writing using the re-inspection request form and accompanied by an additional re-inspection fee.

Following an inspection you will have a “right to reply” to outline any action you have taken since the inspection or to explain the condition found at the time of the inspection. These comments should be sent electronically or in writing to the authority and they will be posted on the website.  These comments will be monitored and if necessary edited to ensure they are fair and accurate.

If you want to send a “right of reply” message, request a revisit or lodge a formal appeal please contact us.