UK food hygiene ratings in 2026: Q3 snapshot across England

Q3 saw steady inspection activity from local authorities ahead of the autumn trading season. Between 2026-07-01 and 2026-09-30, 36,161 FHRS ratings were published across 48 counties — covering 503,426 food establishments with official hygiene data. Of those Q3 ratings, 2,284 scored 0–2 (6.3%), while 13,802 sites currently hold a low score on their latest result regardless of date.

For context, the rolling 30-day window shows 6,632 published ratings and 35 new 0–2 scores — a smaller snapshot than the full Q3 total. Explore live figures on the county hub or drill into a sector such as restaurants & cafés.

Total establishment counts and Q3 rating activity do not always match. Greater London leads on establishment count (79,736), while Greater London published the most Q3 ratings (6,136). For field teams, high-activity counties signal fresher hygiene data — useful for compliance-focused sales even when the county has fewer premises overall.

Compare county profiles directly — e.g. Kent, Greater London or West Yorkshire — or open a sector×county page like restaurants in Kent.

Sector mix reflects how the UK out-of-home market is structured. In Q3 2026, Restaurants & cafés leads with 10,386 published ratings, ahead of Retailers — other (5,234) and Takeaways (4,602). These three categories typically account for the bulk of FHRS traffic in urban and suburban counties.

Open the sector pages for restaurants & cafés, takeaways and pubs & bars to compare county grids and low-rating counts. Live Watch Sector plan tracks one business type across England from £19/month — see pricing.

Distinguish new low ratings published in Q3 from the number of establishments currently rated 0–2. The former (2,284) reflects recent local authority decisions; the latter (13,802) is the group you can target for ongoing compliance discussions. Sales teams often combine both: Q3 spikes for recent contacts, current low scores for area planning.