Our expert Environmental Health Officer inspects and rates food businesses. You will be given a predictive score, shown how to improve and guided through the steps needed to get a new and improved food hygiene rating.
Food Hygiene Rating System
The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) is run by councils in partnership with the Food Standards Agency. Nearly 100% of local authorities now run food hygiene rating schemes (FHRS). The food hygiene rating of your last EHO kitchen inspection will be published on a national website for your customers and the media to read and businesses are asked to display a certificate or sticker showing the food safety score at the entrance to the building. It is not yet compulsory to display your food safety score. The food hygiene rating is expressed as between 0 and 5.
Food hygiene audit service
Our food hygiene auditor can visit to carry out a food hygiene audit. As well as predicting your food hygiene rating we can detail what you are legally required to do and recommend practical and cost-effective ways to improve your food hygiene rating. We can also assist you with appealing an unfair food hygiene rating.
If you feel that you have been judged unfairly and deserve a better food hygiene rating you need to act fast.
The food hygiene rating relates to the day of the visit so any evidence that you need should be gathered that day if possible. You can appeal within 14 days (including weekends and bank holidays) of being told what your rating is. You also have a ‘right to reply’ .
We liaise with local councils if our clients have been given a lower food hygiene rating than they deserve and usually achieve a favourable result.
Contact us for more advice, to arrange a food safety audit or to obtain the forms you need to appeal or give your ‘right to reply’
We can help you arrange a re-scoring visit .
If you feel that the food hygiene rating you received was fair but you’d like a better one, you can ask your local council for a revisit. You can do this only once before the next planned food safety inspection. You need to have carried out all the improvements that are legally required, before you can apply for a re-visit. A food safety officer will then carry out an unannounced visit between 3-6 months of the food safety inspection.
We can identify which improvements are legally required and advise you on the most cost effective solutions to achieve compliance, helping you to target your resources to achieve compliance and an improved food hygiene rating.
Documented Food Safety Management Systems
UK food hygiene regulations require catering operators to instigate, implement and maintain documented procedures based on HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points). The Food Standards Agency have developed the Safer Food Better Business, (SFBB) pack to help small businesses meet this legal requirement. We offer a coaching service for business to equip you with the documents and information you need to implement a food safety management system.
Food hygiene rating schemes consider whether your documented Food Safety Management System is effective and whether you can prove that you are monitoring food safety. Your SFBB pack must reflect what is happening in practice and your team members must be fully aware of the controls that are relevant to their job role.
Food Hygiene Training
We hold regular food hygiene training courses, or can offer bespoke training to meet your business needs.