As the learning and development partner of choice for the hospitality and retail industry, CPL Learning has a strong track record of helping businesses understand and excel in food safety standards, ensuring that they not only meet but exceed the expectations of both regulators and customers. That means we have a lot of experience in helping hospitality businesses to maintain the highest standards when it comes to food safety.
In this article, we'll dig a little deeper into food hygiene ratings, explaining what they are, how they're determined, and why they matter so much to both your customers and your business. We'll also share tips to give you a better understanding of the food hygiene rating system and actionable steps to ensure your business is always at the top of its game.
What Are Food Hygiene Ratings?
Food hygiene inspections are like an MOT for food establishments. They offer a snapshot of the standards of food hygiene found at the time of inspection. The scheme helps the public choose where to eat by giving clear information about businesses’ hygiene standards.
Food hygiene ratings are assigned after an inspection by food safety officers to assess how well a business complies with food hygiene laws, focusing on food handling, storage, preparation, cleanliness, and food safety management.
The range of food hygiene ratings is 0 to 5.
5 – hygiene standards are very good
4 – hygiene standards are good
3 – hygiene standards are generally satisfactory
2 – some improvement is necessary
1 – major improvement is necessary
0 – urgent improvement is required
How Are Food Hygiene Ratings Determined?
Food Safety Officers from your local authority will visit your establishment to carry out an inspection, concentrating on five key areas.
They’ll look at how food is handled, stored and prepared, the cleanliness of your facilities, and how food safety is managed; they’ll also want to inspect that all documentation and system checks are in order. Inspections are carried out on unannounced visits, so keeping the highest standards at all times is crucial.
The findings from these inspections determine the rating your premises will receive, which in turn demonstrates to the public your adherence to food hygiene laws. A rating of 5 offers prospective customers peace of mind that your venue is clean and safe to visit, while a rating of 3 or lower may raise some concerns.
The Importance of Food Hygiene Ratings
Food hygiene ratings can have an impact on revenue. Higher ratings are more likely to attract hygiene conscious customers while low ratings could well put people off visiting. A poor food hygiene rating can lead to loss of reputation and, in the worst possible cases, lead to your business being closed and legal action taken against you.
Currently, there's no legal requirement to display your rating in England, but it's mandatory in Wales and Northern Ireland. Not displaying your rating sticker would be a poor choice though, as some people may think this means your rating is low and you’re trying to hide something.
Keeping your premises well maintained and consistently receiving a high hygiene rating gives you a competitive advantage over your competition. That’s why it’s so important to make sure that you and your staff are following all processes and training is up to date.
How to Improve and Maintain High Food Hygiene Ratings
Given all the information and work required, a lot of businesses will merely be happy to maintain the rating they’re awarded. This is great if you’re consistently receiving a 5 rating, but if you’re at 4 or lower, how can you improve?
Improving your rating requires commitment to continuous improvement and meticulous attention to detail.
Here are some ways in which you can bring about improvements:
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Regular Staff Training
It’s likely you’re already carrying out regular staff training, but could it be improved to help you towards that 5* rating?
Make sure you’ve written Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for each area, and create individual staff training plans, making sure you’ve identified the correct audience for each SOP.
All staff members should have a training log/folder which is checked and updated regularly, ensuring they’re fully compliant.
Training should cover everything from personal hygiene to proper food handling and storage practices. Regular updates and refreshers are essential to keep everyone up to date and progressing towards that top rating.
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Implement Robust Cleaning Protocols
Part of the training manual should include the importance of maintaining strict cleaning schedules for all areas, including kitchen surfaces, equipment, and storage areas. This not only helps to prevent foodborne illness but also keeps your premises ready for inspection.
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Conduct Self-Audits
It sounds obvious, but this can be overlooked due to the already heavy time pressures you’re under. Regularly assessing your own compliance by conducting internal audits is a great way to improve standards. Having this proactive approach means you will identify and address potential issues before they become problems. It also means you won’t be blind-sided with any nasty surprises during a mandated health inspection.
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Keep Accurate Records
This is absolutely crucial. Proper documentation of food safety practices including temperature logs, cleaning schedules, staff training and pest control records demonstrates your compliance and helps you maintain consistency in your business. If you’re struggling to keep up with the paperwork, consider using a digital checklist tool to help with this.
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Engage with Inspections
If you haven’t got the score you wanted, use it as a positive. Look at the feedback you’ve received constructively and, most importantly, act on it.
Even if your rating is high, there are still likely to be areas where you can make improvements.
How Can CPL Learning Help You?
In this article, we've looked at how food hygiene ratings play a vital role in shaping customer choice. We’ve explained what they are, how they're determined, and why they matter so much to both your customers and your business.
We’ve also shared a few tips, such as regular staff training, implementing strict cleaning protocols and engaging constructively with inspection feedback. These are all small, actionable steps that will ensure your business is always ahead of the curve when it comes to food hygiene.
Maintaining a high food hygiene rating is vital for protecting your business’s reputation and ensuring customer safety. CPL Learning offers tailored training solutions, such as the Food Safety Awareness Online Course and Food Safety Level 3.
These courses are designed to help your team excel in food safety practices.
Our comprehensive courses will give you a competitive edge, and build trust with your customers, so get in touch to find out how we can help you to improve and maintain your food hygiene rating.