You are currently viewing Appeal A 1-Star Hygiene Rating – Complete FAQ Guide (PART 2)
1-Star Hygiene Rating? Appeal Your Food Hygiene Rating - Complete FAQ Guide

Appeal A 1-Star Hygiene Rating – Complete FAQ Guide (PART 2)

Introduction

New! Got a 1-Star Hygiene Rating (or other low score)?  Here Is Everything You Need to Know About How To Appeal Your Food Hygiene Rating – All in One Place 🔥

This guide has been designed to answer every question you have about the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) appeals procedure.  This is a MUST READ for any business owner thinking about appealing their food hygiene rating.

Got a 1-Star Hygiene Rating or other low score?  Do you disagree with the outcome of your recent EHO inspection?  Does your rating feel unfair or wrong?  Wondering how to challenge it?

👉 You’re not alone. Less than 1% of businesses appeal their Food Hygiene Rating—often because they don’t understand the process or fear the consequences. But here’s the thing: you have the right to appeal, and it’s completely FREE.

Use this guide to answer all your questions about how to appeal your food hygiene rating.  But first – we want to quickly mention GIA.

 Start your FREE (FHRS) appeals application today.  

Don’t miss your chance to appeal.

💡 Meet GIA, our AI powered (FHRS) Appeals Assistant.  Here to guide you on how to appeal your Food Hygiene Rating!

GIA_Guided Appeals Helper to challenge an unfair food hygiene rating
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If you are unsure whether to appeal?  Or need expert help to appeal against an unfair hygiene rating – GIA can help.  She has been fully trained to understand the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) Appeals Procedure.  Let GIA walk you through the appeals process step-by-step.  As well as checking your eligibility to appeal, she will generate a fully formatted appeals letter using the official Food Standards Agency (FSA) template.  Use GIA to challenge an unfair 1-star hygiene rating (or other low score) with ease!

Now, let’s get back to it.  Below we’ve put together a Complete FAQ Guide to help you understand your right to appeal your food hygiene rating.  It covers every step of the process—no fluff, no confusion, just straight answers.  Because, sometimes, EHOs get it wrong.  That’s why the (FHRS) appeals system is built into the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme — it is an important safeguard, yet rarely talked about.

💡 Know your rights.  Challenge an unfair rating.  Protect your business.

👉 Read our Complete FAQ Guide to defend your business now! 

Purpose of the (FHRS) Appeals Procedure

A1. Under the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS), each local authority must have an appeals procedure in place.  This allows food business owners to challenge their Food Hygiene Rating if they feel it is wrong or unfair.

When To Appeal Your 1-Star Hygiene Rating?

A2. You can use the appeals procedure to challenge your food hygiene rating if:

a) you do not agree that the rating properly reflects the hygiene standards or management controls found at your premises at the time of the inspection, or

b) you believe that the rating criteria were not applied correctly when producing your Food Hygiene Rating.

A3. Yes. You can appeal the ‘new’ 1-Star Hygiene Rating if you dispute the score.

When NOT To Appeal Your 1-Star Hygiene Rating

A4. You are not permitted to use the appeals procedure if:

1) You have already accepted your 1-Star Hygiene Rating. This means:

– you have already requested a re-inspection/re-visit for a re-rating. And you have started work on the compliance(s) issues identified at the time of the initial inspection. Or;

– you have submitted a ‘right to reply’ to tell consumers about improvements that you have made.

2) You have missed the 21 day appeals deadline.

A5. You have 21 days to appeal from the date you were notified of your 1-Star Hygiene Rating. This includes weekends and bank holidays.  If you try to appeal after the 21 day deadline, your application will be refused. And after the 21-day period has ended, your Food Hygiene Rating will be published online at food.gov.uk/ratings if no appeal has been lodged within the timeframe. 

(FHRS) Appeals Procedure - How Does It Work?

A6.  See Flow Diagram below which outlines the stages of the Food Hygiene Rating appeals procedure.

Food Hygiene Rating Appeals Flow Chart

A7. If you appeal your Food Hygiene Rating, your appeal application has to be made in writing within 21 days. This starts from the date you received notification of your hygiene rating letter following the EHO inspection.  The 21 day time period includes weekends and bank holidays.

A8. Yes, you can download the standard appeal template from www.food.gov.uk or from your local authority website. You can download the appeal for here.

A9. Yes, you will receive a letter acknowledging receipt of your appeal, similar to the one shown here.

1-Star Hygiene Rating: How To Dispute Your Rating Informally?

A10. Yes, it is sensible to talk to the ‘inspecting officer’ or the EHO informally, in the first instance. Try to resolve any dispute you have about your Food Hygiene Rating informally, before considering using the appeals procedure. You need to understand how your score was derived. And where you lost marks. After all, if you decide to appeal, you will be disputing your score.

A11. No. The appeal time limit will still be running, even when you are informally discussing your rating to dispute it. Any informal discussions DO NOT form part of the formal appeal procedure.

A12. No. Until the outcome of the appeal is determined, your 1-Star Hygiene Rating will not be published online. What will be shown online is a notice with the words ‘awaiting publication’.

A13. No. You will be requested to take down and destroy your previous sticker. You will be required to display a new ‘awaiting publication’ sticker. Also, you will be reminded that to continue to display the ‘awaiting publication’ sticker after the appeal period has ended may constitute an offence under trading standards legislation.

Roles & Responsibilities When Appealing Your 1-Star Hygiene Rating

A14. The appeal is likely to be considered by the Lead Officer for Food. Or in their absence, by a designated deputy.  However, local authorities are encouraged to involve neighbouring authorities with the appeals process to make appeals fairer. You need to ask about this to find out who is involved with your appeal.

A15. The food officer or EHO who carried out the inspection for the Food Hygiene Rating that you are disputing will have nothing to do with your appeal.

A16. During the appeal, the paperwork associated with your recent inspection and the Food Hygiene Rating awarded to you, will be considered. It may be necessary for a further inspection to be carried out by a different officer. This will depend on the nature of the dispute.  It will also depend on whether a decision can or cannot be made on the basis of the paperwork and your Food Hygiene Rating.

What If My Appeal Over A 1-Star Hygiene Rating Is Unsuccessful?

A17. The outcome of the appeal will be communicated to you in writing.  You will receive a letter within 21 days from the date that the appeal was received.  This 21 day period includes weekends and bank holidays. See the example letter that you will receive if your appeal is unsuccessful.

A18. Following determination of an unsuccessful appeal, your Food Hygiene Rating  will be published online at food.gov.uk/ratings. You will need to display your rating sticker at the front of your premises, if your business is located in Wales.  In England, it is not mandatory to display your rating sticker, although this may change in the near future.

A19. You can challenge the local authority’s decision by judicial review.  You can also use the local authority complaints procedure (including taking the matter to the Local Government Ombudsman where appropriate) if you consider that a council service has not been properly delivered.

A20. Following determination of the appeal, your rating will be published online at food.gov.uk/ratings  This rating will continue to be displayed until the judicial review is determined.

A21. No. There is no legal requirement for the local authority complaints procedure to form part of the appeals procedure. This does not, however, prevent you from using the local authority’s complaints procedure where you wish to complain about an unsuccessful appeal.  Contact your EHO and ask about the Local Authority Complaints Procedure if you are unhappy.

What If My Appeal Over A 1-Star Hygiene Rating Is Successful?

A22.  If your appeal is successful you will receive a letter like the one shown below with your new hygiene rating. You must display your new hygiene rating sticker as soon as it arrives. 

A23.  Your Food Hygiene Rating will be published online when a successful appeal has been determined, and the outcome of the appeal has been communicated to your business.

Final Thoughts

🔹 Struggling with a 1-Star Hygiene Rating or other low score?  Don’t navigate the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) Appeals Procedure alone!

Less than 1% of businesses challenge their Food Hygiene Rating—not because they can’t, but because they don’t know how.  If you’re confused about appeals, worried about the process, or scared about getting it wrong then…

💡 Get instant guidance with GIA – our AI powered (FHRS) Appeals Assistant!  

You’ll receive:

✅ Step-by-step (FHRS) appeals advice tailored to your situation.
✅ Quick, expert-backed answers to your burning questions about the (FHRS) appeals procedure, and
✅ Avoid costly mistakes – fight back the right way.

 Start your free (FHRS) appeals application with GIA today! 

(**works for any score**).

GIA_Guided Appeals Helper to challenge an unfair food hygiene rating
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To find out more about the (FHRS) appeals system, read our other article here.

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