Food Hygiene Rating Scheme

What is the National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme?

It is a scheme to provide customers with at-a-glance information about hygiene standards in food businesses. Businesses in South Somerset are rated by food hygiene inspectors, and this helps customers make informed choices about where they buy and eat food.

Which businesses are given a rating?

Restaurants, takeaways, cafes, sandwich shops, pubs, hotels, supermarkets and other retail food outlets, as well as any other business where consumers can eat or buy food, will be given a rating.

Businesses will be issued with a rating certificate and sticker and be encouraged to display these.

A toolkit is available that provides many ideas and resources for businesses to make the most of their food hygiene rating.

How is the rating calculated?

Following a food hygiene inspection by an officer of South Somerset District Council, businesses will be given a rating for the standards of hygiene found at that time. These include:

• How hygienically the food is handled - safe food preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage.
• The condition of the structure of the premises - cleanliness, repair, layout, lighting, ventilation and other facilities.
• How food safety is managed and documented - using systems such as 'Safer Food Better Business' or equivalent.

When will the food hygiene rating be notified to each business and published?

The food hygiene rating will be provided in writing whether it is notified at the time of visit or afterwards. If not notified at the time of visit, the rating will be communicated within 5 working days of the inspection. Food businesses receiving a score of 0 - 4 have a right of appeal. The 21 day appeal period commences at the end of the 5 day notification period. This means it will take 27 days before the rating is eligible for uploading on to the food hygiene rating scheme website. Should a business be satisfied with the score issued and wishes to have its score released for publication prior to the expiry of the 27 day period it should provide written notification of its decision to waive its right of appeal. All ratings eligible for publication on to the food hygiene rating scheme website will be uploaded at 3 week intervals.

 What do the ratings mean?

• A rating of 5 means that conditions are very good
• A rating of 4 means that conditions are good
• A rating of 3 means that conditions are generally satisfactory
• A rating of 2 means that improvement is necessary
• A rating of 1 means that major improvement is necessary
• A rating of 0 means that urgent improvement is necessary

How do I find out the ratings of food businesses in South Somerset?

You can access food hygiene ratings on the move, for free, by downloading a Food Hygiene Rating Scheme App for your iPhone or Android device. With well over 90% of Local Authorities across the country now uploading their hygiene scores into the national scheme, whether you are in Yeovil or York, you will be able to check your smart phone app to check a hygiene score. Visit the Food Standards Agency ratings webpage where you can download the App for your type of device, as well as search for a food hygiene rating or inspection result given to a business.

Link to records for South Somerset District Council where you can view food hygiene ratings for your favourite restaurant, café or takeaway. Please note that ratings are given at the time of inspection and changes may have occurred at the premises since this date.

 As the food business operator of the establishment you have a right to request a revisit for the purposes of re-rating if you have taken action to rectify the non-compliances identified at the time of inspection.

For applications received after 1^st April 2018 there is a charge of £115 for this revisit. There is no limit on the number of requests you can make but the charge will be applicable each time.

You must provide details of the improvements made with your request, including supporting evidence where appropriate.

Applications will only be accepted and deemed valid once payment has fully cleared and the local authority officer is satisfied sufficient information has been provided below to confirm improvement in the level of compliance.

Revisits will be carried out within a maximum of three months. In most circumstances the re-visit will be unannounced.

The local authority officer will give you a 'new' food hygiene rating based on the level of compliance that is found at the time of the revisit.  You should be aware that your rating could go up, down or remain the same.

To request and pay for a revisit click on the Green button below

Appeals guide - Safeguards for Food Businesses

Food Hygiene Rating Scheme Policy and Procedures

The Food Standards Agency Business Appeal Panel has a dedicated business appeals section which explains what businesses should expect from local authority inspections, how to determine if food safety officer actions or requirements are reasonable (and if there are grounds for an appeal), and, in England, how to challenge local authority decisions or actions through a panel called the Independent Business Appeals Panel.

The food hygiene rating scheme is not an endorsement of current standards but merely reflects the rating we awarded a premises at the time of their inspection. Nevertheless, we try very hard to make sure the information available on these pages is correct and in the case of the food hygiene rating scheme adheres to the FSA's brand standard.

Following an inspection it may take up to 28 days for the new rating to appear on the website.

Link to records for South Somerset District Council

Food and Hygiene Publications and Leaflets

Enforcement Policy and leaflet

Food Standards Agency

Public Register

Food and Safety Unit Service Plan 2017/18

Food Safety Fees and Charges

Village Halls and Food

Food Hygiene Rating Scheme Satisfaction Survey results