Food Hygiene: The good and bad scores across the UK

As the Food Standards Agency (FSA) marks 15 years since the introduction of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) and urges consumers to ‘look before they book’ their festive meals, a new 2025 analysis from leading online training provider High Speed Training reveals the best and worst-performing regions and towns across the UK.

High Speed Training conducted a comprehensive analysis of FSA data to identify the towns and cities with the highest and lowest food hygiene ratings, reinforcing the importance of checking ratings before booking Christmas parties or family meals this holiday season.

The South West has maintained its position as the region with the highest average Food Hygiene Rating in the UK, scoring 4.67 out of 5 from over 21,000 premises. In contrast, the analysis confirmed that London remains the lowest-ranking region for the second consecutive year, with an average score of 4.38.

The detailed report, which analysed FSA data for over 240,000 food businesses across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales, found that the overall average food hygiene rating across surveyed businesses was 4.56. This marks a slight improvement from the 2024 score of 4.55, showing continued, albeit modest, progress in food safety standards. Overall, 88% of businesses scored a 4 or 5, with 71% achieving the top mark.

Key Town and City Findings

The North West seaside town of Southport achieved the highest individual rating, with a highly impressive average score of 4.95 out of 5. It was closely followed by Ipswich, Lincoln, and Stockton-on-Tees (all 4.89) and Hastings (4.86).

The bottom three included Bolton (4.08), Wigan (4.08) and Birmingham (4.11), with the latter’s rating dropping by a UK-wide high of 0.29.

Other regional findings include:

• The North East and Northern Ireland shared the second-highest regional score (both 4.64), followed by the East Midlands (4.63).
• The biggest improver was Halifax (4.39), which increased its rating by 0.19. The biggest faller was West Bromwich (4.16), which saw its rating drop by 0.26.
• Across England, Northern Ireland and Wales, 469 premises scored a zero, with 7,599 (11.9%) premises scoring a 3 or below.

Takeaways Highlight Risk Areas

The analysis revealed particular concerns in the takeaway sector, a common choice for festive gatherings and busy weekends. 1 in 5 (20%) takeaways across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland scored a 3 or below for their rating. This number rises significantly in major urban centres, including Birmingham (38%), Manchester (33%), and Liverpool (31%).

Paul Turner CEnvH, MCIEH, an Environmental Health Officer for North Yorkshire Council, said: “Since its inception 15 years ago, the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme has played a pivotal role in improving standards across the UK. It has been incredibly successful in allowing local authorities and EHOs to effectively engage with both businesses and consumers to communicate important messages around food hygiene and safety.

“Prior to the launch, a number of regional ‘Scores on the Doors’ schemes existed that, though they were effective, didn’t easily allow for national comparison and benchmarking. A national standard means greater consistency for businesses and provides the public easy access to this vital information.

“However, we would welcome some updates to the FHRS to make it more suitable for the current landscape, which relies heavily on food delivery apps and aggregators. We would like to see this information displayed more prominently across these apps, perhaps with a traffic light system for easy identification.

“We are also always pushing to make the display of food hygiene ratings in England mandatory, as it is in Wales and Northern Ireland, to ensure that consumers have all the information they need to make informed choices about where to spend their hard-earned money.”

Dr Richard Anderson, Head of Learning and Development at High Speed Training, comments: “Food safety and robust hygiene practices should be of paramount importance to food businesses, and to the customers who use them. 15 years have passed since the launch of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, and its place in the industry is as vital as ever.

These ratings are a direct reflection of how safely and hygienically that establishment operates, and we urge businesses and customers to take them seriously. 

“For businesses that perform well, a high rating is a real selling point. However, establishments with a low hygiene rating can be extremely off-putting for customers, which ultimately has a significant impact on reputation and profitability.”

“Our report shows that, on average, standards remain high across the UK, and have improved from 2024. This commitment to correct food hygiene training for staff, alongside robust food management procedures and everyday good practices are crucial to keep performing at high standards.

“We would also urge customers to check the food hygiene ratings of establishments they wish to dine at, so that an informed call as to whether you eat there can be made.”

To view the report in full and to see how your area compares to others, please click here.