Q1: What is ‘Scores on the doors’?

It is a scheme that allows you to view the latest assessment of food hygiene standards made by Guildford Borough Council’s environmental health team following their inspections of commercial food businesses. The score is in the form of a star rating from zero to five, where zero indicates that major improvements are required and five shows excellent standards. 

Q2: Why is Guildford Borough Council running this scheme?

Publication of food hygiene inspection information is very popular with consumers as a means of informing their decisions about where to eat. It is also very successful in terms of helping improve standards of food hygiene, by giving public recognition to those food businesses which have achieved high standards of food hygiene.

Q3: Which businesses get a star rating?

All registered food businesses which form part of Guildford Borough Council’s inspection programme, including restaurants, hotels, pubs serving food, takeaways, schools, hospitals, residential homes and many more. Lower risk retail premises where no open high risk food is handled (e.g. newsagents, grocers etc.) are not included in the scheme at this stage, but are likely to form part of a national scheme.

Q4:  How do I search for a food business on the Scores on the Doors website?

• Go onto the Scores on Doors website.
• Fill in one or more search boxes with as much information as you like e.g. the name of business, the street or the area. You can also find businesses just by star rating or area.
• Finally click "Search".

Q5: How is the star rating calculated?

The scoring system is based on the following criteria which Guildford Borough Council’s food safety officers assess following every programmed food hygiene inspection:

• Hygiene practices
• Structure and cleanliness
• Confidence in food safety management

Businesses are awarded a total score which is converted to a star rating. The star rating will be issued on a certificate and sent to the business to display on the front door or window and is published on the website.

Q6: Do businesses have to display their star rating?

No. There is no legal requirement for businesses to publicly display their certificate. However we strongly encourage them to do so. All of the scores are available on the Scores on the doors website (this page opens in a new window).

Q7: What happens if a business disagrees with the star rating? 

The rating is based on a professional officer’s inspection and will not normally be changed. However, if a business believes that it has been treated unfairly and strongly disagrees with an inspection rating, then they should make a written appeal to the Head of Environmental Health & Licensing within 14 days of receipt of their inspection report, setting out the specific reasons for the disagreement. The matter will be investigated and the decision of the Head of Environmental Health & Licensing services will be final.

Q8: Can the star rating be changed?

Yes, but generally only when the next programmed food hygiene inspection is due. However, an inspection may be brought forward and the star rating reassessed if any serious hygiene defects are discovered as a result of a consumer complaint or during the course of a food poisoning investigation.

Q9: Can businesses request for additional visits to change their rating?

No. Ratings will only be changed during programmed inspections in accordance with our Scores on the Doors policy [PDF] (63k). Where businesses have made improvements it is important to ensure that these standards are maintained until the next programmed inspection.

Q10: Do businesses have a "right to reply" concerning their star rating?

Yes. If a business feels that standards have improved since the inspection, the food business operator can use the “right to reply” facility on the website to indicate the improvements that they have made as long as claims can be verified by officers. However rights to reply will only be put on the website with the agreement of the Head of Environmental Health and Licensing Services. 

Q11: Is this part of a national scheme?

No, but the Food Standards Agency is currently developing a national Scores on Doors scheme that is expected to be launched in 2010/2011. Find out more about the development of the national scheme (this page opens in a new window). 

For further information contact: 

Environmental Health and Licensing Services
Millmead House
Millmead
Guildford
Surrey
GU2 4BB

Tel: 01483 444371
Fax: 01483 444546
Email: environmentalhealth@guildford.gov.uk