Help for businesses

Advice and assistance

To assist our 992 food businesses in Bassetlaw prepare for the food hygiene rating scheme we have carried out drop-in advice sessions and sent letters pre-warning food proprietors what their ratings are likely to be.

Our food safety officers have been working with businesses advising them how they can improve their ratings.

To help you to get the best rating, we have put together a checklist so that when our next visit is due you can be confident that you should gain a high rating. Remember, if you do not complete the items on the checklist, it is likely that you will not get the best rating for your business; the rating you do get may stay on the public website until the next visit.

For most businesses a fully documented and operating food safety management system is required. If you do not have one then you can only achieve a low rating and this will be indicated on the public website.

Achieving a higher score is well within any businesses' capability if it ensures food hygiene is taken seriously and remains a priority with all.

Hygiene ratings and revisits

The hygiene ratings

After your inspection, you will be issued or sent a certificate and sticker indicating one of the following hygiene ratings:

• 0 - Urgent improvement necessary
• 1 - Major improvement necessary
• 2 - Improvement necessary
• 3 - Generally satisfactory
• 4 - Good
• 5 - Very Good

This rating will remain until you are inspected in the future, which depending on standards found at the inspection may vary from 6 months to 24 months.

If you make the improvements to hygiene standards that the inspecting food safety officer required, you can ask for a revisit before the next planned inspection so that the hygiene standards in your premises can be reassessed with a view to giving you an improved food hygiene rating.

How to request a revisit 

You must explain what actions you have taken on the issues raised at your last inspection and include supporting evidence such as receipts or photographs to show that work has been completed to improve standards. This is important as we may refuse your request if you do not provide sufficient information and evidence.

How to appeal

Following a food safety inspection of your premises you will be told in writing what your food hygiene rating is. This will either be at the time of visit or within 14 days. Should you consider the rating to be unfair or wrong, in other words it does not reflect the hygiene standards at the time of inspection, you can appeal.

You only have 21 days from the date of receipt of the inspection letter to lodge an appeal.

What is the 'right to reply'?

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 which you consider may have affected your rating.

It is not an opportunity to complain or criticise the food hygiene rating scheme or your officer.

As a department the Environmental Health food safety team and management consider the rating scheme as a tool not only to improve the standards of food businesses in Bassetlaw but also as a means of food businesses improving their revenue. A high rating will result in increased sales and a more cost effective food business. Be proud to display your well deserved food hygiene rating.

More information is available on the Food Standards Agency Website.

Last Updated on Wednesday, February 28, 2024