Food hygiene rating

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme enables customers to make informed choices about the standard of hygiene in the business where they eat out or shop for food. It also promotes high standards for food business operators.

This scheme is run by the Food Standards Agency in partnership with local authorities. Find out more about the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme on the Food Standards Agency website.

If you have food poisoning and think it has been caused by a restaurant or other food outlet, you can report it to us. Email us at eandr@nfdc.gov.uk or use our food hygiene complaint form.

Find a food hygiene rating

You can find the food hygiene rating of a business in New Forest using the online form below.

Find a business's food hygiene rating

If you would like a copy of the inspection report for a business, you can request this information from us.

If we cannot provide the information, we will let you know and explain why.

Information for customers

Food business operators in the New Forest are inspected by us to determine their food hygiene rating.

During a food hygiene inspection, several factors will be assessed to determine how well a business complies with food hygiene legislation. The factors include the following.

• how hygienically the food is prepared, handled, cooked, reheated, cooled and stored
• the condition of the structure of the food premises, cleanliness, design, layout, ventilation, lighting and provision of facilities to encourage good hygiene
• the ability of the food business operator to manage the business to ensure that the food is safe and the standard of records to demonstrate this.

The food business operator is then rated on a scale of 0 to 5 as follows.

• 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.

The rating shows how well the business is performing overall. The business may be better in some areas than others, and the rating takes this into account.

For further information for customers, watch the food hygiene rating video on YouTube.

Information for businesses

Food business operators can find out more about inspections and ratings on our Food Hygiene Rating Scheme page.