Food safety and standards

Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS)

We participate in the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) national Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS).

Our Environmental Health officers inspect food businesses included in the scheme to check that they follow food hygiene law. Businesses are given a rating from 5 to 0, where 5 means hygiene standards are very good and 0 means urgent improvement is required. Participating food businesses may display a valid hygiene rating sticker.

The scheme also helps consumers choose where to eat out or shop for food.

Check a food hygiene rating for restaurants, cafés, takeaways, sandwich shops, mobile food traders, hotels, schools and care homes on the Food Standards Agency website.

Query a food hygiene rating

If you think your business has been given an unfair or wrong rating, use the forms below to contact us.

Right of appeal

Use this form to appeal the food hygiene rating given following the inspection.

Right to reply

Use this form to give an explanation of any actions you've taken to make the required improvements as identified at the inspection.

Request a re-visit

If you've made the required improvements identified at the inspection, you can request a re-visit. There is a non-refundable charge of £174 (£185 from 1 April 2024) which should be paid in advance. Do not send payment with your application.

We'll check your application first to make sure you've provided enough information for us to accept it. We'll then contact you to make payment.

The re-visit will be carried out within 3 months of receipt of payment and will be unannounced.

Early food hygiene rating publication

If your business receives a food hygiene rating of 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 it will take at least 21 days until the new rating is showing on the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) website. This is largely due to the 21 day appeal period.

If you do not want to appeal and would prefer to have your new rating showing as soon as possible, there is now an option for you to waive your right to appeal. This is helpful to those food businesses who trade on online food ordering platforms.

You'll need to download and complete the form to request early publication of the rating. You can return it to us by:

• email: food.safety@stockport.gov.uk
• post: Commercial and Trading Standards Team, Public Protection, 2nd Floor, Fred Perry House, Edward Street, Stockport, SK1 3UR