We are part of the national Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, that helps you choose where to eat out or shop for food.
The scheme, run in partnership with the Food Standards Agency, gives you information about hygiene standards in restaurants, pubs, cafés, takeaways, hotels, and other places you eat out, as well as supermarkets and other food shops.
Our food safety officers inspect registered food businesses to check that they are meeting legal requirements on food hygiene. The premises are given a hygiene rating between 0 and 5 that shows how well they are doing.
Why is the scheme important?
Advising you about the hygiene standards in food outlets gives you greater choice; it also recognises businesses with the highest standards and encourages others to improve. The overall aim is to reduce the number of cases of food poisoning which currently affects about one million people in the UK every year.
Which businesses are given a rating?
Restaurants, takeaways, cafés, sandwich shops, pubs, hotels, supermarkets and other retail food outlets, as well as other businesses where consumers can eat or buy food, will be given a hygiene rating as part of the scheme.
How is the rating calculated?
Each business is given a rating following an inspection by a food safety officer. This is based on how well the business is meeting the requirements of food hygiene law at that time. In particular:
- 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 a food safety management system
The rating reflects the conditions found at the time of the last inspection and does not reflect the quality of food or the standards of service the business provides.
Food businesses are given a rating from 0 to 5.
- 0 - urgent improvement necessary
- 1 - major improvement necessary
- 2 - improvement necessary
- 3 - generally satisfactory
- 4 - good
- 5 - very good
All businesses should be able achieve the top rating of 5.
If a business does not achieve the top rating, the food safety officer will explain to the person that owns or manages the business what improvements are needed.
Where can I find the rating for a food business?
You can look up food hygiene ratings on the Food Standards Agency website.
You can search for ratings for food businesses in Chesterfield and anywhere else the scheme is being operated in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Businesses are given a window sticker showing their rating which they should display in a place where you can easily see it when you visit. Only the most recent inspection should be displayed. Legally in England the ratings do not need to be displayed at this time.
Find out more about the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.
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