Food Hygiene Ratings for Pub Kitchens: What You Need to Know

Your Food Standards Agency (FSA) hygiene rating is one of the first things customers check — and delivery platforms like Deliveroo and Uber Eats use it to determine your visibility in search results. For pub kitchen operators in cities like London and Manchester, maintaining a 5-star rating isn't just good practice, it directly affects your revenue.

How the Rating System Works

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) scores food businesses from 0 to 5. Inspections are carried out by your local authority's environmental health team, usually unannounced. They assess three areas:

Lower scores are better. A combined score of 0-15 gets you a 5-star rating. A score of 16-20 gets 4 stars.

Who Gets Inspected: You or the Pub?

This is the most common question from pub kitchen operators. The answer: both. The pub has its own food hygiene registration and rating for any food it serves (even if it's just bar snacks). When you operate a kitchen residency, you register as a separate food business at the same address. You'll have your own rating, independent of the pub's.

This means you're responsible for your own documentation, your own cleaning standards, and your own inspection outcome.

Preparing for Your First Inspection

Inspectors can visit at any time once your food business is registered. Here's what to have in place from day one:

Documentation (Confidence in Management)

• HACCP plan: A written food safety management system. The FSA's "Safer Food, Better Business" pack is a free template that covers the basics.
• Temperature logs: Daily fridge/freezer temperature checks. Record them on a printed sheet by the fridge — inspectors look for this.
• Cleaning schedule: A written schedule showing what gets cleaned, when, and by whom.
• Training records: Proof that all staff have completed Level 2 Food Hygiene training.
• Supplier records: Invoices showing where your ingredients come from.
• Allergen information: Written allergen data for every menu item, available to customers on request.

Physical Standards (Structural Compliance)

• Hand wash station stocked with soap, paper towels, and signage
• Separate chopping boards for raw meat, cooked food, and vegetables (colour-coded)
• Probe thermometer for checking cooking temperatures
• Food stored off the floor and labelled with dates
• No personal items in the kitchen (bags, phones, coats)
• Clean extraction filters and grease trap

Common Reasons Pub Kitchens Lose Stars

• Missing temperature logs: The single most common issue. Takes 30 seconds a day to fill in.
• No written HACCP plan: Even if your practices are perfect, you need it documented.
• Cross-contamination risks: Raw meat stored above ready-to-eat food in the fridge.
• Dirty extraction filters: Inspectors always check these. Clean them weekly.
• No allergen information available: Required by law since 2014. Must be in writing.

Impact on Delivery Platforms

Deliveroo requires a minimum rating of 2 to list. Uber Eats requires 3. But the real impact is on visibility — a 5-star rating pushes you higher in search results and gives customers confidence. A rating below 4 can reduce your order volume by 20-40% according to platform operators.

Key Takeaways

• You register and get rated separately from the pub — your hygiene is your responsibility
• Documentation is typically what separates a 4 from a 5 — keep logs from day one
• Delivery platforms use your rating for search visibility — 5 stars directly increases orders
• Use the FSA's free "Safer Food, Better Business" pack as your HACCP template
• Daily temperature logs, weekly extraction cleaning, and written allergen info are non-negotiable