Food hygiene rating scheme
The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme is a Food Standards Agency and local authority partnership initiative which allows the public to find out about food hygiene standards within businesses and helps them to make informed decisions about where they eat in the borough.
Under the scheme, each food outlet is given a hygiene rating that reflects the findings made at the time of their last food hygiene inspection.
Inspected premises are awarded one of the following ratings:
| Score | Window sticker | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 5 - Very good | 
| High standards of food safety management. Fully compliant with food safety legislation. |
| 4 - Good | 
| Good food safety management. High standard of compliance with food safety legislation. |
| 3 - Generally satisfactory | 
| Broadly compliant with food safety legislation. Some more effort might be required. |
| 2 - Poor | 
| More effort required to meet all legal requirements. |
| 1 - Major improvement necessary | 
| Poor level of compliance with food safety legislation - much more effort required. |
| 0 - Urgent improvement necessary |  | A general failure to comply with legal requirements. Little or no appreciation of food safety. |
Please note that the score applies to the conditions found at the last inspection. It therefore may not represent the current condition of the business.
Appeal a rating
Use this service if you have had a food safety inspection and you do not agree with the rating you have been given.
Before you appeal
Before you appeal for a food hygiene rating, we recommend you contact the Food and Safety team to ask why you received the rating that you did. If you still do not think that the rating is correct, you can appeal to us within 21 days of receiving your score.
Appealing
To appeal for a food hygiene rating, you will need to download and complete the food hygiene rating scheme appeal form. You will need:
- your business' name and address
- your reason for appealing
Please return the completed form by email to ehadmin@midkent.gov.uk.
For alternative ways to appeal a food hygiene rating, including by email, you can contact us at ehadmin@midkent.gov.uk.
Request a re-score
Use this service if you have taken steps to improve your practices and you would like to be re-scored before your next routine food inspection.
Being re-scored does not necessarily mean that you will receive a higher score.
From 1 April 2026 you will need to pay £221 if you want your food hygiene rating re-scored.
Before you start
You will need:
- the address and contact details of your business
- the date and rating of your last inspection
- evidence of the improvements you have made
- a credit or debit card to make the fee payment