The sticker rates the kitchen's hygiene, not the cooking.

The 0–5 scale and what each band means

The rating is a snapshot of the standards of food hygiene found at the time of inspection, and the scale runs from the top down. The FSA's published meanings: Source: GOV.UK food hygiene rating scheme (opens in a new tab).

• 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

What inspectors actually assess

A food safety officer from the local authority checks that the business follows food hygiene law — that the food is safe to eat. At the inspection, three elements are examined: how hygienically the food is handled, including how it is prepared, cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored; the physical condition of the business, including cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation and pest control; and how the business manages food safety — the processes, training and systems meant to keep standards up in future. Source: GOV.UK food hygiene rating scheme (opens in a new tab).

The rating reflects all three together: to get the top mark a business has to do well in each element, and when the top rating is not given the officer tells the business what to improve. A breakdown of the three elements is published alongside the online rating for businesses inspected since April 2016 in England and Northern Ireland, and since November 2014 in Wales. Source: GOV.UK food hygiene rating scheme (opens in a new tab).

The scheme reaches further than restaurants: takeaways, food vans and stalls, canteens, hotels, supermarkets and other food shops, schools, hospitals and care homes can all carry ratings. Two groups are exempt — low-risk businesses such as shops selling only pre-wrapped goods, and childminders or caring services run from home. Source: GOV.UK food hygiene rating scheme (opens in a new tab).

Where to look up a venue's rating

Every rating is published on the FSA's lookup at ratings.food.gov.uk — search by business name or postcode. The online entry also shows the date of the inspection, which matters: a rating stays up until the next inspection, so the date tells you how recent the snapshot is. Source: FSA ratings lookup (opens in a new tab).

If a business does not come up, the FSA's own advice is to try just the name or the first part of the postcode — businesses registered at private addresses, like home caterers, publish only limited address details. Still nothing? Contact the local authority responsible for inspecting it; the FSA provides the website, but the ratings themselves are supplied by the inspecting authority. Source: GOV.UK food hygiene rating scheme (opens in a new tab).

One regional note: Scotland is not part of this scheme — it runs the Food Hygiene Information Scheme instead, which grades businesses as Pass or Improvement Required rather than 0–5. Source: FSA ratings lookup (opens in a new tab).

Display rules: England vs Wales vs Northern Ireland

Whether a business must show its sticker depends on the nation. In England, display is voluntary — businesses are encouraged to show their rating but do not have to. In Wales, businesses are legally required to display their rating in a prominent place, and takeaway leaflets and flyers must carry a bilingual statement telling customers how to find the rating online; staff must also answer a rating question in person or by phone. Northern Ireland similarly requires display at or near each customer entrance, where customers can readily see and read it before entering, with the same obligation to state the rating verbally on request. Source: GOV.UK food hygiene rating scheme (opens in a new tab).

So a missing sticker means different things in different places: ordinary in England, a question worth asking in Wales and Northern Ireland.

What a good rating doesn't cover

The FSA is explicit about the limits: the scheme does not provide information on the quality of the food, customer service, culinary skill, presentation or comfort. A 5-rated café can still serve a sandwich you do not enjoy; hygiene is the only variable the number tracks. Source: GOV.UK food hygiene rating scheme (opens in a new tab).

Two quieter limits matter just as much. The rating is a snapshot of inspection day — compliance between inspections is the business's legal responsibility, not something the sticker continuously measures. And the inspection assesses food hygiene practice, not allergen handling specifically: the sticker does not certify that a kitchen can cater for your allergy. For that conversation, ask the questions directly — the 14 allergens they must declare are listed in their own guide. Source: GOV.UK food hygiene rating scheme (opens in a new tab).

If a venue has no sticker

In England, an absent sticker is usually just the voluntary rule — look the venue up on the FSA's ratings site or ask a member of staff what rating was given at the last inspection. In Wales and Northern Ireland, where display is required, a missing sticker is more noteworthy — the lookup will tell you whether the business is rated at all. Source: FSA ratings lookup (opens in a new tab).

Some businesses legitimately have no rating: the exempt low-risk shops and home-based caring services described earlier, and newly opened venues still awaiting their first inspection. If you suspect food poisoning, the route is your GP and the local authority's environmental health or food safety team — not the sticker. Source: GOV.UK food hygiene rating scheme (opens in a new tab).

The rating answers one question — the kitchen's hygiene practice — and leaves the rest of eating out to you: whether the dish is any good is the menu's job and the reviews', and what is on your plate is something a Food Says Hi lookup can still help name. A photo identifies the dish; the sticker describes the kitchen.