FHRS Display Audit 2022 - Audit of display of food hygiene rating stickers results

Rates of display

As illustrated in Figure 3.1, rates of display in England, and Northern Ireland and Wales remained broadly consistent with the findings in 2021. The rate of display in England remained significantly lower than in Northern Ireland and Wales, likely a direct result of the lack of legal obligation to display a rating sticker at business premises in England.   ^{(footnote 1)}

Figure 3.1 Proportion of audited businesses in England, Northern Ireland and Wales that are displaying food hygiene ratings either inside or in a location visible from outside the premises (2011 to 2022). ^{(footnote 2)}

Base: All audited businesses 2022/2021/2019/2018/2017/2016/2015/2014/2013/2012 (England 501/502/479/500/500/412/429/490/462/452; NI 527/515/480/500/500/450/445/431/429/418; Wales 497/505/498/500/500/417/430/NA/455/447). Figures for Wales for 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 are based on display of the statutory sticker only. ↑ / ↓ denotes a significant difference compared to 2021.

In England, 67% of businesses displayed an FHRS sticker (either inside or in a location visible from outside the premises). Although not significantly higher than in 2021, this represents a continuation of the steady upwards trend in rates of display by English businesses since 2017, when 55% of businesses displayed a sticker. Takeaway and sandwich shops were more likely than average to have a sticker on display (79%), while accommodation businesses, pubs, bars, and nightclubs were less likely (57%). 

In Northern Ireland, 87% of businesses displayed an FHRS sticker. The overall picture in Northern Ireland has remained broadly consistent over time, with the 2022 figure in line with the percentage displaying the sticker in 2018, the second year after displaying the rating became mandatory in Northern Ireland. As in England, takeaway and sandwich shops were more likely than average to display a sticker (95%), while accommodation businesses, pubs, bars, and nightclubs were less likely (67%). 

In Wales, 91% of businesses displayed an FHRS sticker, increasing from 88% in 2021 ^{(footnote 3)} , but not significantly.   ^{(footnote 4)}This increase in display at an overall level was driven by an increase in display amongst restaurants and catering businesses (from 90% to 96%) and accommodation, pubs, bars and nightclubs (from 83% to 93%) between 2021 and 2022. Focusing on results from the 2022 audit, restaurants and catering businesses were more likely than average to display their sticker (96%), while retail businesses were less likely (81%). 

In England, food businesses with a rating of 5 were more likely to display their FHRS sticker (77%). As presented in Figure 3.2, the proportion of businesses displaying a sticker inside or in a location visible from outside decreased as ratings became lower, dropping to 43% of those with a rating of 4 and 39% of those with a rating of 3. There was less difference in display rates between different food hygiene ratings in Northern Ireland and Wales, likely due to the statutory requirement to display.

Figure 3.2 Display of FHRS sticker inside or in a location visible from outside, by food hygiene rating (3-5) 

Did you see an FHRS sticker at this outlet? – Yes. Base: All audited food businesses, food hygiene rating 5/4/3 (England 339/96/44; NI 427/72/22; Wales 332/97/48) ↑ /↓ Denotes a significant increase from 2021.

Focusing on audited food businesses with a food hygiene rating of 2 or below, it was much more common for businesses in Northern Ireland and Wales to have an FHRS sticker on display than their counterparts in England. 

• In England, 6 out of 22 businesses with a rating of 2 or below had a sticker on display.
• In Northern Ireland, 4 out of 6 businesses with a rating of 2 or below had a sticker on display.  ^{(footnote 5)}
• In Wales, 17 out of 20 businesses with a rating of 2 or below had a sticker on display.

Whether rating was clearly visible 

The audits captured whether ratings were visible from outside business premises and whether they were clearly visible to customers (either inside or outside) ^{(footnote 6)}.  As in previous years, the vast majority of FHRS stickers observed were clearly visible.

In England, 63% of businesses had a sticker displayed outside. As presented in Table 3.2, this figure has steadily increased over the last few years. While not significantly higher when compared to 2021, the proportion displaying a sticker outside was significantly higher in 2022 than in 2019 (63% vs 55%). Fewer than one in twenty businesses in England (4%) displayed a sticker inside their premises but not outside. Irrespective of the location of display, two thirds (66%) of businesses displayed a sticker in a location deemed ‘clearly visible’ by auditors. 

Table 3.1 Display rates in England

Type of display	2022 (n=501)	2021 (n=502)	2019 (n=479)
Displayed outside	63%	59%	55%
Displayed inside	4%	5%	6%
Not displayed	33%	36%	39%
Summary: Displayed inside or visible outside	67%	64%	61%
Deemed ‘clearly visible’	66%	63%	59%

Did you see an FHRS sticker at this outlet? – Yes. Base: All audited food businesses 2022/2021/2019 (England 501/502/479) – * Denotes a significant increase since 2021. ** Denotes a significant decrease since 2021.

As illustrated by Figure 3.3, those with a rating of 5 in England were more likely than average to display their sticker in a location visible from outside the premises (73%), while those with a rating of 4 (39%) or 3 (37%) were less likely than average. 

Figure 3.3 Outside display split by FHRS rating

Did you see an FHRS sticker at this outlet? (Outside/Inside display) – Outside. Base: All audited food businesses, food hygiene rating 5/4/3 (England 339/96/44/22; NI 427/72/22/6; Wales 332/97/48/20). ↑ /↓ Denotes a significant increase/decrease compared to the average. Although figures for businesses with a rating of 0-2 the results here should be taken indicatively because the base sizes are low.

As presented in Table 3.2, amongst the minority of businesses in England that displayed a sticker inside their premises but not outside, most of these businesses had a rating of 5.

Table 3.2 Inside only display split by FHRS rating

FHRS rating	England	Northern Ireland	Wales
5 – Very good	11	2	7
4 – Good	4	2	3
3 – Generally satisfactory	1	3	0
0-2	0	0	0
Total	16	7	10

Was the food hygiene rating sticker visible from the outside of the premises? – No. Base: Audited food businesses that had an FHRS sticker on display inside their premises but not outside (England: 16; NI: 7; Wales: 10)

In Northern Ireland, 85% of businesses had a sticker visible from outside. After a decline in the number of businesses in Northern Ireland displaying a sticker in a location visible from outside between 2019 and 2021, the rate significantly increased in 2022, bringing the rate of outside display broadly in line with the level recorded in 2019 (see Table 3.3). Those with a rating of 5 were more likely than average to display a sticker in a location visible from outside the premises (87%) (see Figure 3.3). 

A factor that may have contributed to this change is that in 2022, all the audited premises had their own entrance, compared to 95% in 2021, where fewer could display their sticker in a way which was visible from outside the premises. Alongside this, the number of food businesses displaying a rating inside significantly decreased to 2% (down from 8% in 2021). More than four-fifths (86%) displayed a sticker in a location deemed ‘clearly visible’ by auditors (either inside or outside).

Table 3.3 Display rates in Northern Ireland

Type of display	2022 (n=527)	2021 (n=515)	2019 (n=480)
Displayed outside	85%*	77%	87%
Displayed inside	2%**	8%	3%
Not displayed	13%	16%	11%
Summary: Displayed inside or visible outside	87%	84%	89%
Deemed ‘clearly visible’	86%	83%	89%

Did you see an FHRS sticker at this outlet? – Yes. Base: All audited food businesses 2022/2021/2019 (NI 527/515/480) –* Denotes a significant increase since 2021. ** Denotes a significant decrease since 2021. 

In Wales, 88% of businesses had a sticker visible from outside. As presented in Table 3.4, this seems slightly higher than in 2021 but is not a statistically significant difference. ^{(footnote 7)} Concurrently, the number of food businesses not displaying a sticker has decreased slightly between 2021 and 2022, but again not to a statistically significant extent. Close to nine in ten businesses (89%) displayed a sticker in a location deemed ‘clearly visible’ by auditors (either inside or outside).

Table 3.4 Display rates in Wales

Type of display	2022 (n=497)	2021 (n=505)
Displayed outside	88%	84%
Displayed inside	3%	4%
Not displayed	9%	12%
Summary: Displayed inside or visible outside	91%	88%
Deemed ‘clearly visible’	89%	87%

Did you see an FHRS sticker at this outlet? – Yes. Base: All audited food businesses 2022/2021/2019 (Wales 497/505/498) – * Denotes a significant increase since 2021. ** Denotes a significant decrease since 2021. 

In England and Northern Ireland, takeaways and sandwich shops were more likely to have a sticker visible from outside (England 79%; Northern Ireland 95%), while accommodation businesses, pubs, bars and nightclubs were less likely (England 52%; Northern Ireland 66%). In Wales, restaurants and catering businesses were more likely to have a sticker visible from outside (93%), while retail businesses were less likely (78%).

Number of food hygiene rating stickers on display

In addition to recording the rating displayed by businesses, auditors recorded the number of stickers that they saw on the premises. Auditors were asked to check in several different areas around the outlet, and record the rating displayed on each sticker they found ^{(footnote 8)}.  As with previous years, a minority of businesses in each country displayed more than one sticker. Businesses that had multiple stickers displayed were typically establishments with multiple entrances.

In England, amongst businesses displaying a food hygiene rating, 12% of businesses had more than one food hygiene rating on display, consistent with 2021 (12%). Similarly, in Northern Ireland 12% of businesses displayed more than one FHRS sticker, consistent with 2021 (14%). The figure was slightly higher in Wales, with 16% of businesses displaying more than one sticker, compared to 11% in 2021. 

Where multiple stickers were displayed, ratings generally matched; of the 163 businesses that had more than one sticker, there were five cases in which there were discrepancies in the ratings displayed. In four of these cases a business had two stickers, one displaying a rating of 4 and the other displaying a rating of 5. In the other case, a business had three stickers; two displayed a rating of 5 and one displaying ‘rating awaited’. ^{(footnote 9)}

Comparison of ratings on display to those recorded in FHRS database

To check the accuracy of FHRS stickers being displayed, auditors compared the ratings they observed within businesses to those found on the FHRS database. As shown in Figure 3.4, the number of food businesses whose displayed food hygiene rating matched the rating recorded in the database was in line with that recorded in previous years and has remained broadly consistent since 2017.

Most of the food businesses in each country that displayed a sticker, displayed a rating which matched the FHRS database (England 92%; Northern Ireland 95%; Wales 92%). In the small number of cases where the rating displayed did not match the database rating, more food businesses displayed a higher rating (England 7%; Northern Ireland 3%; Wales 4%) than a lower rating (England 1%, Northern Ireland 1%; Wales 3%). 

For all three nations, nearly all businesses with a rating of 5 on the FHRS database were observed to be displaying the correct rating (England 99%; Northern Ireland 99%; Wales 96%). By comparison, 73% of businesses in England, 83% of businesses in Northern Ireland and 87% of businesses in Wales with a rating of 4 on the FHRS database were observed to be displaying the correct rating.

Figure 3.4 Whether displayed FHRS sticker matched FHRS database

 Does the food hygiene rating at location match what is in the FHRS database? – Yes Base: All businesses displaying FHRS 2022/2021/2019/2018/2017 (England 323/315/294/294/276; NI 458/448/429/446/435; Wales 450/435/467/454/438). ↑ /↓ Denotes a significant increase from 2021.

Online display of food hygiene ratings

Alongside an audit of the business premises, auditors conducted an online review to see whether the food hygiene rating was displayed on the business’s website or Facebook Business Page. ^{(footnote 10)}  Checking the business’s Facebook Business Page is a new addition since the last wave so it is not possible to compare 2022 and 2021 findings for this metric. 

As presented in Figure 3.5, 84% of businesses in England had a website or a Facebook Business Page. Of these, 13% had a rating displayed. Most (95%) of these businesses displayed a rating that matched the FHRS database, while 4% were found to be displaying a higher rating and 2% were found to be displaying a lower rating.

In Northern Ireland, 89% of businesses had a website or Facebook Business Page. Of these, 6% had their rating on display. Of these, all food businesses displayed the correct food hygiene rating online. 

In Wales, 87% food businesses had a website or Facebook Business Page. Of these, 8% had their rating on display online. Most (92%) of these businesses displayed a rating that matched the FHRS database, while 5% were found to be displaying a higher rating and 3% were found to be displaying a lower rating.

Figure 3.5 Whether food businesses in England, Northern Ireland and Wales have a website or Facebook Business Page, and the rate of online food hygiene rating display 2022

 What FHRS rating was displayed on the location's website or Facebook Business Page? Base: All audited businesses (England: 501; NI: 527; Wales; 497).