FHRS Display Audit 2022 - Awareness of the scheme and satisfaction with ratings

Awareness of the scheme

More than nine in ten food businesses (92%) in England, Northern Ireland and Wales reported having heard of the FHRS. Historically, awareness of the scheme in Northern Ireland and Wales has 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 (since 2016) and Wales (since 2013) but only encouraged in England). However, in 2022 self-reported awareness of the scheme was consistent across all three countries. This corresponds with a slight decrease in awareness in Northern Ireland since 2021 (from 95% to 92%), however this decrease is not statistically significant. When comparing awareness in 2022 to 2019, there has been a significant decrease amongst businesses in Northern Ireland (92% vs 96%) and Wales (92% vs 97%).
 
Figure 4.1 Awareness of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS)

 B1. Have you heard of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme? Base: Base: All FBOs. England (2022: 500, 2021: 500, 2019: 498, 2018: 465, 2017: 498); Northern Ireland (500, 500, 500, 469, 494); Wales (500, 500, 507, 478, 501). 

Within each country, self-reported awareness of the FHRS was at a similarly high level across the different sizes of food businesses, outlet types, and food hygiene rating that the business held. However, takeaways and sandwich shops stood out as being less likely than average to be aware of the scheme in England (85%), Northern Ireland (85%) and Wales (83%).

After further prompting – for example, referencing green and black stickers – slightly more businesses in Northern Ireland and Wales could recall being given a food hygiene rating by their local authority than had recognised the name of the FHRS (Northern Ireland 97% vs 92% and Wales 96% vs 92%). This suggests that some businesses are aware of the scheme but are unfamiliar with its official title. 

Satisfaction with food hygiene ratings

As presented in Figure 4.2, amongst those aware of their food hygiene rating, most businesses in England (91%), Northern Ireland (95%) and Wales (89%) reported being satisfied with their rating. In all three countries, satisfaction with food hygiene ratings has not changed significantly since 2021.

Figure 4.2 Satisfaction with the food hygiene ratings

B6. Are you satisfied with the rating you received? – Yes; Base: Where knows food hygiene rating 2022/2021 (England 452/464; NI 482/484; Wales 471/472). 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 be satisfied. For example, nearly all businesses with a rating of 5 were satisfied with their rating (England 99%, Northern Ireland 98% and Wales 98%) while significantly fewer businesses with a rating of 4 were satisfied (England 84%, Northern Ireland 87% and Wales 78%).

Amongst the minority of businesses that were dissatisfied with their food hygiene rating, most said that this was because they felt that they deserved a higher rating, with many of the opinion that they should have been awarded a rating of 5. Some attributed their lower than desired rating to food safety officers being unfair in their assessments or putting too much emphasis on what the business considered to be non-food hygiene aspects (i.e., structure and confidence in management), while others said that inspections had been conducted at inconvenient times (for example during a busy period or during a deep clean). 

“We always got 5 and on the last visit they came on a day when we were deep cleaning and because of that the kitchen was not on top of cleaning process and they decided to lower rating to 4… that day was not the best day for a visit.”
Restaurants and catering, England, FHRS rating of 4

“The rating should have been higher. When the Environmental Health Officer came in first thing they went to do is wash their hands, but at the time we were busy and soap dispenser was empty. We got marked down for that.”
Accommodation, Wales, FHRS rating of 3

Minimum satisfactory rating

Businesses were asked what was the lowest food hygiene rating which they would be satisfied with. As shown in Figure 4.3, six in ten businesses in England (60%) and Northern Ireland (58%) reported they would only be satisfied with a rating of five, while just under half (49%) of businesses in Wales mentioned they would only be satisfied with a rating of five. Around one third of businesses also considered a rating of 4 to be the minimum (England 33%, Northern Ireland 33%; Wales 38%). Across all three countries, very few would be satisfied with a rating of 3 or less (England 6%, Northern Ireland 7%; Wales 12%).

Figure 4.3 Lowest food hygiene rating businesses would be satisfied with

England: Very Good (5): 60%, Good (4): 33%, Generally Satisfactory (3): 6%, Improvement Necessary (2): 0%, Major Improvement Necessary (1): 0%, Urgent Improvement Necessary (0): 0% Northern Ireland: Very Good (5): 58%, Good (4): 33%, Generally Satisfactory (3): 7%, Improvement Necessary (2): 0%, Major Improvement Necessary (1): 0%, Urgent Improvement Necessary (0): 0% Wales: Very Good (5): 49%, Good (4): 38%, Generally Satisfactory (3): 11%, Improvement Necessary (2): 0%, Major Improvement Necessary (1): 1%, Urgent Improvement Necessary (0): 0%

 
B7a. What is the lowest Food Hygiene Rating you would be satisfied with? Base: Where knows food hygiene rating 2022 (England 452; NI 482; Wales 471).

Across all three countries, there was a strong correlation between the rating businesses had and the lowest ratings they would be satisfied with. For example, 72% of businesses in England with a rating of 5 considered 5 to be the lowest rating they would be satisfied with (compared to 60% on average), while 73% of businesses with a rating of 4 considered four to be the lowest rating they would be satisfied with (compared to 33% on average).

In addition to being asked about the lowest food hygiene rating they would be satisfied with, businesses were also asked what was the lowest rating they would consider ‘good enough’ to display. As illustrated in Figure 4.4, across England, Northern Ireland and Wales most businesses said that only a rating of 4 or above would be appropriate (England: 86%; Northern Ireland: 85%; Wales: 76%), with a rating of 4 being identified as the baseline for many (England: 45%; Northern Ireland: 44%; Wales: 43%). Across all three countries, the higher the food hygiene rating the business currently held at present, the higher the minimum rating they would consider to be ‘good enough’ to display. 

Figure 4.4 Lowest food hygiene rating businesses would consider ‘good enough’ to display

England: Very Good (5): 41%, Good (4): 45%, Generally Satisfactory (3): 11%, Improvement Necessary (2): 0%, Major Improvement Necessary (1): 0%, Urgent Improvement Necessary (0): 1% Northern Ireland: Very Good (5): 40%, Good (4): 44%, Generally Satisfactory (3): 14%, Improvement Necessary (2): 0%, Major Improvement Necessary (1): 0%, Urgent Improvement Necessary (0): 0% Wales: Very Good (5): 32%, Good (4): 43%, Generally Satisfactory (3): 19%, Improvement Necessary (2): 1%, Major Improvement Necessary (1): 1%, Urgent Improvement Necessary (0): 1%

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 465; NI 487; Wales 478).