Awareness of the scheme and satisfaction with ratings

This chapter begins by covering awareness of the Scheme. It then moves on to explore food business’ attitudes towards their food hygiene ratings. 

Awareness of the scheme

There was high awareness of the FHRS across all countries (Northern Ireland 95%, Wales 92%, England 92%). Historically, awareness in Northern Ireland and Wales tends to have been higher than in England, likely reflecting the different legal requirements around the FHRS in the different countries (with display being mandatory in Northern Ireland and Wales but only encouraged in England). However, awareness among businesses in Wales in 2021 was slightly lower than in previous years (92%, down from 97% in 2019). 

Figure 4.1 Awareness of the Food Hygiene Rating scheme (FHRS)

B1. Have you heard of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme? Base: All FBOs. England (2021: 500, 2019: 498, 2018: 465, 2017: 498); Northern Ireland (500, 500, 469, 494); Wales (500, 507, 478, 501). ↓ Denotes a significant decrease from 2019. 

Within each country, awareness of the FHRS was at a similarly high level across the different sizes of the food businesses, outlet types, and regardless of the food hygiene rating that the business held. The one exception was relatively lower awareness amongst takeaway businesses in England, with four in five (80%) aware of the FHRS. 

Figure 4.2 Awareness of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) by outlet type

B1. Have you heard of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme? Base: All FBOs. England (500), Catering (209), Retail (132), Accommodation and bars (94), Takeaway (65); Northern Ireland (500), Retail (139), Accommodation and bars (78), Catering (212), Takeaway (71); Wales (500), Catering (191), Accommodation and bars (120), Takeaway (61), Retail (128). ↓ Denotes significantly lower than total. 

After further prompting – for example, referencing the green and black sticker that displays the rating – slightly more businesses in Wales recalled being given a food hygiene rating by their local authority (96%) than had recognised the name of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (92%). In England and Northern Ireland, recall of being given a rating or sticker (94% England, 97% Northern Ireland) was in line with businesses’ overall awareness of FHRS.

Satisfaction with food hygiene ratings

Businesses were asked whether they were satisfied with the food hygiene rating they received. The majority of businesses in all three countries were satisfied with their rating (England 89%; Northern Ireland 92%; Wales 88%). As shown in Figure 4.3, satisfaction with their food hygiene rating has not changed significantly since 2019.

Figure 4.3 Satisfaction with food hygiene rating 

B6. Are you satisfied with the rating you received?– Yes; Base: Where knows food hygiene rating 2021/2019 (England 464/464; NI 484/487; Wales 472/491). This question refers to the numerical rating a business received, not necessarily the signage.

Unsurprisingly, across all three countries, businesses with higher ratings were more likely to have been satisfied with their rating. 

In England and Northern Ireland, takeaways and sandwich shops were less likely to be satisfied with their rating than other types of businesses (England 80% vs 89%; Northern Ireland: 82% vs 92%). This may, at least in part, be linked to these types of businesses being more likely than average to have comparatively low food hygiene ratings. Furthermore, micro businesses in England were less likely to be satisfied than average (87% vs 89%), with this size of business being more likely to be a takeaway or sandwich shop and have a food hygiene rating under 5.

Reasons for dissatisfaction with rating

Due to low levels of dissatisfaction with their food hygiene rating, bases sizes for self-reported reasons why some businesses were dissatisfied with their rating are low. Therefore, results provided are indicative and should be treated with caution.

Businesses provided several reasons why they were not satisfied with their rating. Some of the more common reasons were due to the rating being low or due to problems they had with the inspection^(footnote): 

• rating was lower than expected / expected a higher rating (England 12 mentions; Northern Ireland 16 mentions; Wales 18 mentions)
• received a low rating (England 9; Northern Ireland 7; Wales 6)
• inspector was not fair / Rating is unfair / I do not agree with it (England 8; Northern Ireland 8; Wales 12)
• inspection time was inconvenient (England 8; Northern Ireland 4; Wales 7)

Minimum satisfactory rating

Businesses were asked what was the lowest food hygiene rating which they would be satisfied with. As shown in Figure 4.4, just over half of businesses in each country would only be satisfied with the maximum rating of 5 (England 55%; Northern Ireland 57%; Wales 52%). A large proportion also considered a rating of 4 to be the minimum (England 36%; Northern Ireland 40%; Wales 36%), whilst a small proportion thought 3 was satisfactory (England 7%; Northern Ireland 3%; Wales 10%). 

Figure 4.4 Lowest food hygiene rating businesses would be satisfied with

B7a. What is the lowest Food Hygiene Rating you would be satisfied with? Base: Where knows food hygiene rating 2021 (England 464; NI 484; Wales 472).

Across all three countries, businesses with higher food hygiene ratings were more likely to state they would be satisfied with higher minimum ratings, compared to businesses with lower ratings. For example, 71% of businesses in England with a rating of five considered five to be the lowest rating they would be satisfied with (compared to 55% of all English businesses). 

In addition to being asked about the lowest food hygiene rating they would be satisfied with, food businesses were also asked what was the lowest rating they would consider to be ‘good enough’ to display. 

As illustrated in Figure 4.5, across England, Northern Ireland and Wales most businesses said that only a rating of four or above would be appropriate, with a rating of four being identified as the baseline for many (England: 46%; Northern Ireland: 48%; Wales: 43%). Again, across all three countries, the higher the food hygiene rating at present, the higher the minimum rating they would consider to be ‘good enough’ to display. This was in line with findings in 2019.

Figure 4.5 Lowest food hygiene rating businesses would consider 'good enough' to display

B17. And thinking more generally now about the Food Hygiene Rating, what is the lowest Food Hygiene Rating that you would consider ‘good enough’ to display at your business? Base: Where have FHRS certificate/sticker rating (England 469; NI 486; Wales 479).