The ‘Food Hygiene Rating Scheme’ –
template letters for dealing with reinspection/re-visit requests
Notes for local authorities
The attached template letters may be used by local authorities in relation to FHRS reinspection/re-visit requests.
These are for:

acknowledging and accepting a re-inspection/re-visit request;

acknowledging but refusing a re-inspection/re-visit request until further details provided;
and

notification of a new rating following requested re-inspection/re-visit.
It is hoped that their use will save local authority officer time and ensure a consistent
message is given to businesses. The text may be tailored by individual authorities to suit
local needs.
Any feedback on the template letters is welcome and should be emailed to:
[email protected]
Acknowledging and accepting a request for a re-visit
[Business name]
[Business address]
[Date]
Dear [Food business operator],
Food Hygiene Rating Scheme - request for a re-visit
I acknowledge receipt of your request for a re-visit for your food hygiene rating to be
reassessed. This was received on [date of receipt].
In light of the information that you have provided about the actions you have taken to
address the issues raised at your inspection on [date of inspection], we agree to your
request.
The re-visit will take place sometime between three and six months following the date of
your inspection. As you know, the visit will be unannounced, in other words we will not tell
you the specific date and time in advance.
I should remind you that the Food Safety Officer will be looking at standards generally – not
just at the specific areas you have been working on to improve – so your rating could go up,
down or remain the same. I should also remind you that you will not be permitted a second
re-visit before your next planned inspection.
Yours sincerely,
[Officer’s name]
[Officer’s job title]
Acknowledging but refusing a request for a re-visit
[Business name]
[Business address]
[Date]
Dear [Food business operator],
Food Hygiene Rating Scheme - request for a re-visit
I acknowledge receipt of your request for a re-visit for your food hygiene rating to be
reassessed. This was received on [date of receipt].
Before we can agree to this, I must ask you to provide more details of the actions you have
taken to improve the hygiene standards found at your last inspection to address the issues
the officer highlighted at the time or in the inspection report. You should include supporting
evidence, for example receipts and photographs, to show that the work has been completed.
[It may be appropriate to include further advice specific to the non-compliances found and
re-iterate how these can be corrected.]
I should remind you that if you provide further information and we agree to a re-visit, the
Food Safety Officer will be looking at standards generally – not just at the specific areas you
have been working on to improve – so your rating could go up, down or remain the same. I
should also remind you that the re-visit will be unannounced, in other words we will not tell
you the specific date and time in advance, and that you are only permitted one requested revisit before your next planned inspection.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely,
[Officer’s name]
[Officer’s job title]
Letter following re-visit to notify improved rating of ‘5’ (intervention rating
reassessed)
[Business name]
[Business address]
[Date]
Dear [Food business operator],
Food Hygiene Rating Scheme - request for a re-visit
I inspected your business premises on [date of re-inspection] at your request to reassess
your food hygiene rating, and I am writing to notify you of the outcome.
I am pleased to be able to tell you that you have now achieved the top rating.
Inspection report
I have enclosed a copy of your inspection report which outlines my findings about your
compliance with the Food Hygiene (England) Regulations and associated legislation.
New food hygiene rating
Details of how your new rating was calculated are as follows:
Compliance with food hygiene and safety procedures
Compliance with structural requirements
Confidence in management/control procedures
Total score
Highest (this means poorest) individual score
Food hygiene rating
[Annex 5 score]
[Annex 5 score]
[Annex 5 score]
[Total]
[score]
I have enclosed a sticker showing your new rating and would encourage you to display this
at your premises so that your customers know how good your hygiene standards are.
Your new rating will be published shortly on the Food Standards Agency’s website at
www.food.gov.uk/ratings
Where may I get further information?
If you have any questions about your inspection report or your new food hygiene rating,
please contact me by telephoning [number] or by email at [email address].
Yours sincerely,
[Officer’s name]
[Officer’s job title]
Letter following re-visit to notify improved rating of ‘5’ (intervention rating not
reassessed)
[Business name]
[Business address]
[Date]
Dear [Food business operator],
Food Hygiene Rating Scheme – rating following re-visit
I visited your business premises on [date of re-visit] at your request to reassess your food
hygiene rating, and I am writing to notify you of the outcome.
At this visit, I considered the specific improvements that you had made since the inspection
carried out on [date of planned intervention at which original rating given] and on that basis I
am pleased to be able to tell you that you have now achieved the top rating.
As I did not undertake a full inspection on this occasion, the three individual scores that you
were previously given for how hygienically food is handled, the condition of the structure and
how you manage and document food safety, remain unchanged and will be reassessed at
the next planned inspection of your premises.
I have enclosed a sticker showing your new rating and would encourage you to display this
at your premises so that your customers know how good your hygiene standards are.
Your new rating will be published shortly on the Food Standards Agency’s website at
www.food.gov.uk/ratings
If you have any questions about your new food hygiene rating, please contact me by
telephoning [number] or by email at [email address].
Yours sincerely,
[Officer’s name]
[Officer’s job title]
Letter following re-visit to notify improved rating of ‘3’ or ‘4’ (intervention rating
reassessed)
[Business name]
[Business address]
[Date]
Dear [Food business operator],
Food Hygiene Rating Scheme – rating following re-visit
I inspected your business premises on [date of re-inspection] at your request to reassess
your food hygiene rating, and I am writing to notify you of the outcome.
Inspection report
I have enclosed a copy of your inspection report. This outlines my findings and highlights
the priority actions and improvements that are still needed to ensure that you are complying
fully with the Food Hygiene (England) Regulations and associated legislation. These are
listed under three areas:

Compliance with food hygiene and safety procedures

Compliance with structural requirements

Confidence in management/control procedures.
If you are unclear about anything in the report, please get in touch with me – my contact
details are given at the end of this letter.
New food hygiene rating
Your rating has increased and details of how this new rating was calculated are as follows:
Compliance with food hygiene and safety procedures
Compliance with structural requirements
Confidence in management/control procedures
Total score
Highest (this means poorest) individual score
[Annex 5 score]
[Annex 5 score]
[Annex 5 score]
[Total]
[score]
Food hygiene rating
[Use relevant image]
I have enclosed a sticker showing your new rating and would encourage you to display this
at your premises so that your customers know how good your hygiene standards are.
Your new rating will be published shortly on the Food Standards Agency’s website at
www.food.gov.uk/ratings
Safeguards
As with your original rating, if you think that the new rating is wrong or unfair – in other words
it does not reflect the hygiene standards at the time of your re-inspection – you have 14 days
in which you can appeal against this. You should appeal in writing to the Lead Officer for
Food [include contact details] but I would recommend that you get in touch with me first so
that I can help you to understand how your rating was worked out.
If you have further improved hygiene standards since your re-inspection, or if there were
unusual circumstances at the time of the re-inspection that might have affected your new
food hygiene rating, you have a ‘right to reply’ so that you can explain this to potential
customers that look up your rating online.
I should, however, remind you that you do not have a right to request a further re-visit before
the next planned inspection of your premises.
More information about safeguards is provided on the FSA’s website at:
www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/enforcement/fhrssafeguards.pdf
Further information
If you have any questions or concerns about your inspection report or about your food
hygiene rating, please contact me by telephoning [number] or by email at [email address].
Yours sincerely,
[Officer’s name]
[Officer’s job title]
Letter following re-visit to notify improved rating of ‘3’ or ‘4’ (intervention rating not
reassessed)
[Business name]
[Business address]
[Date]
Dear [Food business operator],
Food Hygiene Rating Scheme – rating following re-visit
I visited your business premises on [date of re-visit] at your request to reassess your food
hygiene rating, and I am writing to notify you of the outcome.
New food hygiene rating
At this visit, I considered the specific improvements that you had made since the inspection
carried out on [date of planned intervention at which original rating given] and on that basis I
am pleased to be able to tell you that you have achieved an improved rating of:
[use relevenat image]
As I did not undertake a full inspection on this occasion, the three individual scores that you
were previously given for how hygienically food is handled, the condition of the structure and
how you manage and document food safety, remain unchanged and will be reassessed at
the next planned inspection of your premises.
I have enclosed a sticker showing your new rating and would encourage you to display this
at your premises so that your customers know how good your hygiene standards are.
Your new rating will be published shortly on the Food Standards Agency’s website at
www.food.gov.uk/ratings
Safeguards
As with your original rating, if you think that the new rating is wrong or unfair – in other words
it does not reflect the hygiene standards at the time of your re-inspection – you have 14 days
in which you can appeal against this. You should appeal in writing to the Lead Officer for
Food [include contact details] but I would recommend that you get in touch with me first so
that I can help you to understand how your rating was worked out.
If you have further improved hygiene standards since your re-inspection, or if there were
unusual circumstances at the time of the re-inspection that might have affected your new
food hygiene rating, you have a ‘right to reply’ so that you can explain this to potential
customers that look up your rating online.
I should, however, remind you that you do not have a right to request a further re-visit before
the next planned inspection of your premises.
More information about safeguards is provided on the FSA’s website at:
www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/enforcement/fhrssafeguards.pdf
Further information
If you have any questions or concerns about your inspection report or about your food
hygiene rating, please contact me by telephoning [number] or by email at [email address].
Yours sincerely,
[Officer’s name]
[Officer’s job title]
Letter following re-visit to notify rating that remains the same (intervention rating
reassessed)
[Business name]
[Business address]
[Date]
Dear [Food business operator],
Food Hygiene Rating Scheme - request for a re-visit
I inspected your business premises on [date of re-inspection] at your request to reassess
your food hygiene rating, and I am writing to notify you of the outcome.
Your rating remains the same.
Inspection report
I have enclosed a copy of your inspection report. This outlines my findings and highlights
the priority actions and improvements that are still needed to ensure that you are complying
fully with the Food Hygiene (England) Regulations and associated legislation. These are
listed under three areas:

Compliance with food hygiene and safety procedures

Compliance with structural requirements

Confidence in management/control procedures.
If you are unclear about anything in the report, please get in touch with me – my contact
details are given at the end of this letter.
New food hygiene rating
Your new rating was calculated as follows:
Compliance with food hygiene and safety procedures
Compliance with structural requirements
Confidence in management/control procedures
Total score
Highest (this means poorest) individual score
Food hygiene rating
[Use relevant image]
[Annex 5 score]
[Annex 5 score]
[Annex 5 score]
[Total]
[score]
I have enclosed a sticker showing your new rating and the date of the inspection to which
this relates, and I would encourage you to display this at your premises so that your
customers know about your hygiene standards. You must now destroy the sticker showing
your previous rating and inspection date as only one rating – the most recent rating - should
be displayed. To continue to display a previous rating may constitute an offence under the
Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.
Your new rating will be published shortly on the Food Standards Agency’s website at
www.food.gov.uk/ratings
Safeguards
As with your original rating, if you think that the new rating is wrong or unfair – in other words
it does not reflect the hygiene standards at the time of your re-inspection – you have 14 days
in which you can appeal against this. You should appeal in writing to the Lead Officer for
Food [include contact details] but I would recommend that you get in touch with me first so
that I can help you to understand how your rating was worked out.
If you have improved hygiene standards since your re-inspection, or if there were unusual
circumstances at the time of the re-inspection that might have affected your new food
hygiene rating, you also have a ‘right to reply’ so that you can explain this to potential
customers that look up your rating online.
I should, however, remind you that you do not have a right to request a further re-visit before
the next planned inspection of your premises.
More information about safeguards is provided on the FSA’s website at:
www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/enforcement/fhrssafeguards.pdf
Further information
If you have any questions or concerns about your inspection report or about your food
hygiene rating, please contact me by telephoning [number] or by email at [email address].
Yours sincerely,
[Officer’s name]
[Officer’s job title]
Letter following re-visit to notify rating that remains the same (intervention rating not
reassessed)
[Business name]
[Business address]
[Date]
Dear [Food business operator],
Food Hygiene Rating Scheme - request for a re-visit
I visited your business premises on [date of re-visit] at your request to reassess your food
hygiene rating, and I am writing to notify you of the outcome.
At this visit, I considered the specific areas that told us had been improved since the
inspection carried out on [date of planned intervention at which original rating given] but I do
not consider that there is evidence that your rating should be increased, and it remains at:
[use relevenat image]
This rating, together with the date of the visit, will be published shortly on the Food
Standards Agency’s website at www.food.gov.uk/ratings
I have enclosed a sticker showing your new rating and the date of the visit to which this
relates. I would encourage you to display this at your premises so that your customers know
about your hygiene standards. You must now destroy the sticker showing your previous
rating and inspection date as only one rating – the most recent rating - should be displayed.
To continue to display a previous rating may constitute an offence under the Consumer
Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.
As with your original rating, if you think that the new rating is wrong or unfair – in other words
it does not reflect the hygiene standards at the time of your re-visit – you have 14 days in
which you can appeal against this. You should appeal in writing to the Lead Officer for Food
[include contact details] but I would recommend that you get in touch with me first so that I
can help you to understand how your rating was worked out.
If you have improved hygiene standards since your re-visit, or if there were unusual
circumstances at the time of the re-visit that might have affected your rating, you have a
‘right to reply’ so that you can explain this to potential customers that look up your rating
online.
I should, however, remind you that you do not have a right to request a further re-visit before
the next planned inspection of your premises.
More information about safeguards is provided on the FSA’s website at:
www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/enforcement/fhrssafeguards.pdf
If you have any questions or concerns about your inspection report or about your food
hygiene rating, please contact me by telephoning [number] or by email at [email address].
Yours sincerely,
[Officer’s name]
[Officer’s job title]
Letter following re-visit to notify rating that goes down (intervention rating
reassessed)
[Business name]
[Business address]
[Date]
Dear [Food business operator],
Food Hygiene Rating Scheme - request for a re-visit
I inspected your business premises on [date of re-inspection] at your request to reassess
your food hygiene rating, and I am writing to notify you of the outcome.
I regret that I must report that your rating has gone down.
Inspection report
I have enclosed a copy of your inspection report. This outlines my findings and highlights
the priority actions and improvements that are still needed to ensure that you are complying
fully with the Food Hygiene (England) Regulations and associated legislation. These are
listed under three areas:

Compliance with food hygiene and safety procedures

Compliance with structural requirements

Confidence in management/control procedures.
If you are unclear about anything in the report, please get in touch with me – my contact
details are given at the end of this letter.
Your new food hygiene rating
Your new rating was calculated as follows:
Compliance with food hygiene and safety procedures
Compliance with structural requirements
Confidence in management/control procedures
Total score
Highest (this means poorest) individual score
[Annex 5 score]
[Annex 5 score]
[Annex 5 score]
[Total]
[score]
Food hygiene rating
[Use relevant image]
I have enclosed a sticker showing your new rating and I would encourage you to display this
at your premises so that your customers know about your hygiene standards. You must now
destroy the sticker showing your previous rating as only one rating – the most recent rating should be displayed. To continue to display a previous rating may constitute an offence
under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.
Your new rating will be published shortly on the Food Standards Agency’s website at
www.food.gov.uk/ratings
Safeguards
As with your original rating, if you think that the new rating is wrong or unfair – in other words
it does not reflect the hygiene standards at the time of your re-inspection – you have 14 days
in which you can appeal against this. You should appeal in writing to the Lead Officer for
Food [include contact details] but I would recommend that you get in touch with me first so
that I can help you to understand how your rating was worked out.
If you have improved hygiene standards since your re-inspection, or if there were unusual
circumstances at the time of the re-inspection that might have affected your new food
hygiene rating, you have a ‘right to reply’ so that you can explain this to potential
customers that look up your rating online.
I should, however, remind you that you do not have a right to request a further re-visit before
the next planned inspection of your premises.
More information about safeguards is provided on the FSA’s website at:
www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/enforcement/fhrssafeguards.pdf
Further information
If you have any questions or concerns about your inspection report or about your food
hygiene rating, please contact me by telephoning [number] or by email at [email address].
Yours sincerely,
[Officer’s name]
[Officer’s job title]