Food hygiene ratings: What do they mean for customers?

What do food hygiene ratings represent, and how have the numbers of zero-rated businesses changed recently?

Transcript

00:00 Well Lauren, the ratings have become very important to people. Picture this, you're

00:06 strolling down the street, stomach rumbling when you spot a restaurant. Your eyes dart

00:11 to the window searching for that all-important sticker that tells you whether it's a culinary

00:16 haven or a no-go zone. These ratings are not there just for decoration, they're a crucial

00:23 guide to the cleanliness and overall safety of our dining spots. The infamous zero ratings,

00:30 we've seen a drop to about 800 establishments from the 1,335 in 2022. Despite the decrease

00:39 in zero-rated businesses, what does the presence of low-rated establishments indicate and how do

00:44 these ratings impact customer confidence? It's not all sunshine and rainbows, there's still a fair

00:49 share of places barely making the cuts with ratings of two or below. But the overall trend is on the

00:57 up with a decrease in the last year. It's a slow climb to the top but establishments, it seems,

01:04 are getting there. Considering the current trends, are the food hygiene standards in the UK

01:09 deteriorating? What does a high rating mean for customers? Indeed those ratings do matter to

01:14 consumers, they're a beacon of trust. A high score is like a green light for our appetites,

01:20 letting us dine out without the dread of dodgy dishes. It's all about peace of mind. When we

01:27 see that a place has scored well, we can relax knowing that the only thing we need to worry about

01:33 is whether to have dessert. Obviously the answer for me for dessert is always yes. So are we in a

01:40 downward spiral of dining despair? Not at all. It's more like we're on a seesaw with a few ups

01:47 and downs in terms of ratings. The trajectory overall is pointing towards a cleaner,

01:53 safer eating environment and that of course is something worth celebrating.