Havant Borough Council participates in the National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.

When food businesses are inspected they are rated according to what is seen on the day of the inspection. Businesses are sent dated certificates and a sticker to display their rating at their premises.

You can find the rating for a food premises on the Food Standards Agency website.

• Food Standards Agency (external link)

Food Businesses who are unsatisfied with their score can consider these three possible actions

• Request a revisit (pdf 66 kb)

Following an inspection if you make improvements and want your premises inspected again you can ask for a re visit before the next planned inspection with a view to giving you a higher food hygiene rating. This can result in your rating going up or down dependant on the standards at the time of the inspection.

• Right to reply (pdf 72 kb)

This lets you explain to potential customers any actions that you have taken after your inspection to improve hygiene standards at your premises or to say if there were unusual circumstances at the time of the inspection that might have affected your food hygiene rating.

• Appeal procedure (pdf 220 kb)

Following an inspection of your premises you will be told in writing within 14 days what your food hygiene rating is. If you think the rating is wrong or unfair there is a specific appeal process associated with the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.

• How to appeal a decision made about your business (external link)

You must make your appeal in writing within 21 days of being notified about your food hygiene rating. This period includes weekends and public holidays.