The average food hygiene rating for pubs, bars and clubs across the UK has been revealed, thanks to a report from leading online training provider High Speed Training.
The average food hygiene rating for pubs, bars and clubs across the UK has been revealed, thanks to a report from leading online training provider High Speed Training.
The report, which analysed Food Standards Agency (FSA) data for over 215,000 food businesses across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, found that across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the average food hygiene rating for pubs, bars and clubs was 4.63, with 74% receiving the top score of 5.
A similar report run in 2023 by High Speed Training also calculated the score at 4.61, showing that the already high standards have increased.
Pubs, bars and clubs performed well compared to other food businesses, such as restaurants, cafes and canteens, which received an average score of 4.57 across the UK. A lower percentage of pubs, bars and clubs scored a 3 or below compared to the restaurant category, with 8.6% vs 11%.
Only 51 pubs, bars or clubs received a zero for their hygiene rating, compared to 245 restaurants and 178 takeaways, and only 406 scored a 1, compared to to 1,632 restaurants and 1,315 takeaways.
When looking at all food businesses together, the top scoring region was the South West, with an average rating of 4.66 from over 21,000 premises. This was followed by Northern Ireland (4.64) and the East Midlands (4.62).
London had the lowest average rating in the study, with a score of 4.36, though the area had by far the most establishments, with almost 36,000 premises contributing to the rating.
North West seaside town Southport topped the individual rankings, with a highly impressive 4.91 out of 5, closely followed by Bangor, Ipswich and Lincoln, (all 4.89) and Stockton-On-Tees (4.86).
The bottom three included Walsall (4.13), Birmingham (4.08) and Wigan (3.92), with the latter’s rating dropping by a UK wide high of 0.29.
The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) is a partnership with local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The scheme aims to provide customers with information as to how well a business is upholding food hygiene and safety standards.
Following regular inspections, ratings are devised based on the standard of food handling hygiene, the physical condition of the premises and facilities and food safety management practices.
These ratings are then made available on the Food Standards Agency (FSA) website and are usually visible from outside of the premises, often presented in a window near the entrance.
In Wales and Northern Ireland, it is compulsory for businesses to display their food hygiene rating. However, in England it is currently just considered best practice.
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. Recently, we have seen many high profile cases of food poisoning and illnesses caused by food-borne bacteria.
“This is why food hygiene ratings are so important – they are a direct reflection of how safely and hygienically that establishment operates and are of critical importance to consumers. It’s incredibly encouraging to see such high standards across pubs, bars and nightclubs, as a high hygiene rating can be a real selling point. However, establishments with a low hygiene rating can be extremely off-putting for customers, which ultimately have a significant impact on reputation and profitability.”
“Our report shows that, on average, standards remain high across the UK, and have improved from 2023. 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.
To view the report in full, and to see how your area compares to others, please click here
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Contact Information
Daniel Raymond
daniel.raymond@highspeedtraining.co.uk
Notes to editors
Notes to Editor
For data and procedures, please see the ‘Methodology’ section of the report.
For more information, interview requests or additional comment, please contact Dan Raymond, PR & Brand Manager at High Speed Training, on daniel.raymond@highspeedtraining.co.uk
High Speed Training
High Speed Training is a leading online training provider, dedicated to empowering learners in the workplace and beyond. They make compliance and learning simple, straightforward and engaging by delivering accredited digital training that helps people to be engaged, effective and safe.
With over 3 million learners supported to date, High Speed Training works with industry experts and specialists to provide up-to-date thinking and relevant, useful knowledge and deliver practical and user-friendly learning content across all devices.
Founded in 2008, the Yorkshire-based company delivers more than 170 specialist courses for the professional services, hospitality, food manufacture, logistics, education, construction, and health and social care sectors, as well as covering topics including health and safety, food hygiene, risk and compliance management, safeguarding, personal development and core skills.
Since 2023, High Speed training has been an employee-owned trust, and is now wholly owned by its employees, enabling staff to have a financial and directional say in how the business operates.
The company is a registered B Corp, a certification ensuring that businesses meet high standards of social and environmental impact, focusing on a company’s approach to its governance, customers, environment and communities.
In 2023, High Speed Training won the Learning Technologies Organisation of the Year award, and won the First Class E-Learning Large Provider of the Year award from the ROyal Society for the Prevention of Accidents in 2023 and 2024.
All of High Speed Training’s courses meet Continuing Professional Development guidelines and are accredited by the CPD Certification Service. All of their online courses are independently checked and approved by recognised authorities such as CPD, RoSPA, IATP, IIRSM and the Institute of Hospitality.
High Speed Training is officially endorsed by Skills for Care, the strategic body for workforce development in social care in England and a delivery partner for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). Skills for Care endorsement is a trusted quality mark only awarded to the best learning and development providers within the social care sector.
In 2023, High Speed Training placed 4th in the Best Education and Training organisations in the UK to work for, 14th in the Yorkshire and Humberside Best Companies to work for and 25th in the Top 50 Best Mid Sized companies to work for in the UK.
Contact Information
Daniel Raymond
daniel.raymond@highspeedtraining.co.uk
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