Food Hygiene at Takeaways vs Restaurants – Who Scores Better?

Not all food businesses are equal when it comes to hygiene ratings. Our analysis of over 600,000 food businesses reveals significant differences between business types. So who comes out on top – restaurants or takeaways?

The Data: Average Ratings by Business Type

Looking at the national data, clear patterns emerge. Pubs, hotels, and restaurants that cater to sit-down dining tend to achieve higher average ratings than takeaways and smaller food outlets. The hierarchy typically looks something like this:

1. Hotels and Guest Houses – Consistently among the highest-rated, often with dedicated kitchen teams and formal management structures.
2. Pubs and Bars – Generally high ratings, particularly larger establishments with permanent kitchen staff.
3. Restaurant/Café/Canteen – The largest category, with generally good ratings but significant variation.
4. Retailers/Supermarkets – Mostly high ratings due to corporate food safety systems and regular audits.
5. Takeaway/Sandwich Shop – Lower average ratings than other categories, with more businesses at ratings 0–3.
6. Mobile/Temporary Caterers – Variable, depending on the nature of the operation.

Why Do Takeaways Score Lower?

Several factors contribute to the lower average ratings among takeaways:

• Size and resources – Many takeaways are small, owner-operated businesses with limited budgets for equipment, training, and food safety management systems.
• Staffing – Smaller teams mean fewer people available to maintain cleaning schedules, temperature records, and documentation.
• Premises – Takeaways often operate from smaller, older premises that may be harder to maintain to high structural standards.
• Documentation – The most common area where takeaways lose points is confidence in management – specifically, lacking a documented food safety management system.
• High turnover – Takeaway businesses change ownership more frequently, and new owners may not inherit the food safety practices of the previous operation.

Chain vs Independent

Large chains (whether restaurants or takeaways) tend to score higher than independent operators. This is because chains typically have:

• Standardised food safety management systems across all locations
• Central training programmes for all staff
• Regular internal audits in addition to local authority inspections
• Greater resources for maintaining premises and equipment

However, this is an average – there are excellent independent businesses and underperforming chain outlets.

Does the Type of Food Matter?

The cuisine type can influence ratings indirectly. Businesses handling high-risk ingredients (raw meat, seafood, egg-based products) face more stringent requirements. Cuisines that involve complex preparation processes (multiple stages of cooking, cooling, and reheating) carry more risk than simpler food operations.

However, any type of food business can achieve a 5 with proper systems in place. The rating reflects the business's practices and management, not the inherent risk of the food type.

What This Means for Consumers

Do not assume that a restaurant is automatically safer than a takeaway or vice versa. Individual business ratings are far more meaningful than averages by type. A well-run takeaway with a rating of 5 has better hygiene standards than a poorly managed restaurant with a rating of 2.

The best approach is always to check the specific business you plan to visit. Search on Food Hygiene Check or use our interactive map to compare businesses in your area.

You can explore ratings by business type within any local authority by visiting the authority's dashboard page and filtering by business type.