Food Hygiene Rating Scheme

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council was one of the first local authorities to sign up to the Food Standards Agency's (FSA's) national food hygiene rating scheme.

Run in partnership with the FSA, the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) will gradually replace all the different schemes currently being used across the country and provide consumers with a single, easy to understand scheme. The scheme rates food businesses depending on how they are performing in key areas of food hygiene.  The FHRS has already won broad acceptance from local authorities, the catering industry, trade associations and consumer groups.  The FHRS was launched in Sandwell in April 2011.

You can now find out the ratings of food businesses in Sandwell.

How are the ratings worked out?

Local food businesses are inspected to make sure that all food is handled and prepared safely.

After a premises has been inspected, an overall number rating is awarded from zero (the worst) to five (the best), based on the standards found at the time of the inspection.

Three areas are assessed with regard to compliance with food law:

• food hygiene practices
• structure and cleanliness
• confidence in management.

The rating does not reflect the quality of food or the standard of service provided to customers.

The food business operators are asked to display their award certificate. If they wish, a food business operator may appeal their score, request a revisit so that they can be reassessed, and/or post a 'right of reply' on the national website.  Further detailed information on these safeguards is available in the following policies:

• Appeal Policy
• Revisit Policy

If you own a food business and wish to discuss these safeguards, please contact the officer that has inspected your business, or alternatively the Lead Officer for Food:

Lead Officer for Food
Safety and Licensing
Homes and Communities
Environment House
PO Box 42
Lombard Street
West Bromwich
B70 8RU

Tel: 0121 569 6600
Fax: 0121 569 6599

Food hygiene ratings

To access the national food hygiene ratings list visit the Food Standards Agency (FSA) website.

Scheme disclaimer

The food hygiene rating scheme is not an endorsement of current standards but merely reflects the score we awarded a premises at the time of their inspection. Nevertheless, we try very hard to make sure the information available on these pages is correct and we operate a consistency framework to ensure that the food hygiene rating scheme is applied fairly and consistently.

Following an inspection it may take up to 28 days for a revised rating to appear on the national website.