Food hygiene rating help
Got a low food hygiene rating? here’s how we can help.
A low food hygiene rating is fixable. Leafe puts the daily checks, cleaning routines and records inspectors look for on your team’s phones, from today.
No obligation. Cancel anytime. Set up in minutes.
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4.5 APP STORE RATING
How your food hygiene rating is scored
Every rating comes from three scores. Knowing which one pulled you down tells you where to start.
Penalty points ∙ Lower is better
0510152025Score 1
How food is handled
Safe prep, cooking, cooling and storage, and stopping cross-contamination.
Penalty points ∙ Lower is better0510152025Score 2
Cleanliness and condition
How clean the kitchen is, and whether the premises and equipment are fit for service.
Penalty points ∙ Lower is better05102030Score 3
Confidence in management
The systems behind each shift: your food safety plan, training, records that prove checks happen, and your track record.
Highest single score 0 or 5: a 5 is in reach
10: caps you at a 4
15: caps you at a 2
20 or more: caps you at a 1 or a 0
How the points become your rating
The inspector adds your three scores together. Your rating is also capped by your highest single score, using the colours above, so one weak area can hold you back.
5
Very good
Total: 0 to 15
No score over: 5
4
Good
Total: 20
No score over: 10
3
Generally satisfactory
Total: 25 to 30
No score over: 10
2
Improvement necessary
Total: 35 to 40
No score over: 15
1
Major improvement necessary
Total: 45 to 50
No score over: 20
0
Urgent improvement necessary
Total: Over 50
No score over: n/a
Source: Food Standards Agency, Food Hygiene Rating Scheme scoring. Applies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
It all starts with good records.
Records are how you prove to an inspector what happens everyday, and they sit at the heart of your confidence in management score. When checks are logged every shift, the habits follow: food handled safely, and a kitchen kept clean and in good repair. That lifts the other two scores too.
How to improve a low food hygiene rating
You do not have to wait for your next routine inspection to improve a low food hygiene rating. Once the problems are fixed, you can ask your council to come back and re-rate you.
1
Fix what was flagged
Start with the issues in your inspection report. Leafe turns them into daily checks and routines.
2
Record it everyday
Checks done on the phone, stamped with time, date and who did them.
3
Ask for a re-rating visit
Apply to your council with evidence that things have changed. Your Leafe records are that evidence.
4
Keep it up
Routines and missed-check alerts keep standards steady, so the next inspection holds no surprises.
You can also appeal within 21 days of being told your rating, or publish a right to reply at any time. Rules and fees for re-rating visits vary between England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Link: Read the FSA guidance (https://www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/food-hygiene-rating-scheme)
HOW LEAFE HELPS YOU FIX IT
Everything the inspector wants to see, done on the phone your team already carries.
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Temperature logs
Fridge, freezer, probe, cooking and cooling checks in seconds.
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Missed check alerts
Get told when a check is not done before the inspector finds out.
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Opening & closing routines
The same routine, whoever is on shift.
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Cleaning schedules
Customizable schedules, signed off by whoever did the job.
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HACCP & hygiene records
Every legally required record, in one place ready to show and print.
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Leafe scores
See how consistently your team completes their checks.
proof the inspector can see
Good intentions do not leave a paper trail. Every Leafe record is stamped with the time, the date and who did it stored safely in the cloud and ready to print. Show it on inspection day, or attach it to your re-rating request.
Time, date and signature on every check
Stored in the cloud, never lost or smudged
Print or export in a legally compliant format
YOUR TEAM WILL ACTUALLY USE IT
65%
of staff with little food hygeine experience take compliant records in minutes
90%
faster than pen and paper
Offline
works offline, syncs when you are back online
Book a free 15 minute onboarding call when you sign up, and we will help you get set up.
Leafe Pro
Want food safety experts in your corner too?
Leafe Pro adds a team of specialists on top of the app, for owners who want the whole system handled.
A HACCP plan and food safety policy written for your kitchen
Certified food hygiene training for your team
A 24/7 food safety hotline
Help with customer complaints, including food poisoning allegations
Ask about Leafe Pro on your onboarding call.
A note from Sam
I was running a kitchen as a sous chef at 18, so I know what a bad inspection feels like. It rarely means you do not care. It usually means the checks and records slipped when the kitchen got busy. That is exactly what Leafe fixes.
Sam
Sam Chapman
Co-Founder and CEO, Leafe
“I have just had my EHO inspection and they could not fault the Leafe in any way.”
SquirrelHead Chef, The White Horse Inn
“Whenever I have a council EHO visit, I show them the app, if I show them that I have a system that I use in the kitchen, 60% of their worries will be gone.”
Yusri OthmanHead of Operations, Meet Bros, London
Low food hygiene rating:
your questions answered
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Ratings run from 5 (very good) to 0. A 2 means improvement is necessary, a 1 means major improvement is necessary, a 0 means urgent improvement is necessary. A 3 is generally satisfactory.
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Yes, if you think the rating is wrong or unfair. Write to your council within 21 days of being told your rating, counting weekends and bank holidays. A different officer from the one who inspected you reviews it.
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You can send your council a short statement to publish alongside your rating online, for example to explain what you have fixed. You can do this at any time before your next inspection.
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Once the problems are fixed, ask your council for a re-rating visit and send evidence such as photos, receipts and records. In England, some councils charge: paid visits happen within 3 months, and free ones happen no sooner than 3 months and within 6. In Wales and Northern Ireland every council charges and visits within 3 months.
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In Wales and Northern Ireland, yes: showing your sticker is a legal requirement. In England it is voluntary, but every rating is published online on the Food Standards Agency website.
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No app can promise a rating. Leafe fixes the systems, records and routines inspectors score, and shows the change is real. Repairs to the building or equipment are still yours to sort.
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Yes. Seven days, no obligation, cancel anytime.
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£28 per venue, per month.
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Most kitchens are set up the same day. Book a free 15-minute onboarding call if you want help.
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The app plus a team of food safety specialists: HACCP plan, training, a 24/7 hotline and complaint support. Ask about it on your onboarding call.
Start fixing your rating today.
Try Leafe free for 7 days. No obligation.