Before you order

Check the right business, address and inspection

A familiar trading name can appear at several addresses. Before using a hygiene rating to help choose a meal or shop, make sure the record belongs to the place preparing or selling your food.

HygieneFix is an independent guide. The Food Standards Agency, Food Standards Scotland and the responsible local authority are the official sources.

1. Start with the name and postcode

   Use the business name shown on its premises or order information, then check the street address and postcode. A search result for a different branch does not establish the rating of your branch. If the name gives no clear match, try the postcode or part of the address.

   For a delivery order, check the premises address rather than assuming that a brand name identifies one kitchen. Ask the business for its official listing if you cannot match the name and address.

2. Read the scheme used at that address

   England, Wales and Northern Ireland use the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, with ratings from 0 to 5. Scotland uses the Food Hygiene Information Scheme, with results such as Pass and Improvement Required. A Scottish Pass is not a converted five-star score.

   Read what each rating and Scottish result means →

3. Check the inspection date

   The inspection date tells you when the standards behind the published result were assessed. A later data refresh tells you when a service checked the source; it does not mean the council inspected the business again.

   A hygiene rating reflects conditions at inspection. It is not a food-quality review or a guarantee about a meal today. Read the result with its date and verify the official record if the information appears out of date.

4. Treat a missing result as unresolved

   Awaiting Inspection, Awaiting Publication and exempt entries do not provide the same information as a published numerical rating or Scottish result. A missing HygieneFix profile also does not establish that a business is unregistered, closed or safe.

   Try the official food hygiene rating search, using the business name and address. If it still does not match, contact the business or the responsible local authority for clarification.

5. Keep the official record as your reference

   Check the business identity, result and inspection date together. If a third-party page differs from the official service, use the official record and ask the local authority about the discrepancy. The authority responsible for that address can clarify its inspection information.

   For a food-hygiene concern, use the local food safety team finder. Include the business address and what you observed so the concern reaches the right authority.