Free EHO inspection tool

EHO Inspection Readiness Score

Answer 12 quick questions and see how ready your food business is for an Environmental Health Officer inspection. It takes about two minutes, it is completely free, and there is no sign-up — the assessment runs in your browser and scores you across the three areas EHOs actually rate under the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.

FreeAbout 2 minutesNo email requiredBased on the FSA's 3 scored areas
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Food hygiene & safety practices

Hygiene Practices (0–25)

Fridge, freezer and hot-hold temperatures are checked and recorded at least twice a day, with no gaps in the log.

Raw and ready-to-eat foods are kept apart with colour-coded boards and equipment, and raw meat is always stored below ready-to-eat food.

You keep an up-to-date allergen matrix for every dish, and your team can answer an allergen question without checking.

Your probe thermometer is calibrated regularly and the calibration is written down.

Structural condition of the premises

Structural Requirements (0–25)

Cleaning schedules are in place and signed off, and the detail holds up — fridge seals, high shelves and extract are genuinely clean.

Handwash basins are dedicated, unobstructed and stocked with hot water, soap and single-use towels.

You have a current pest control contract and recent evidence of pest-proofing — door sweeps, fly screens and sealed gaps.

Walls, floors, surfaces and equipment are in good repair, with no cracked tiles, damaged surfaces or broken seals.

Confidence in management

Confidence in Management (0 / 5 / 10 / 20 / 30)

You have a documented HACCP-based food safety management system (SFBB, CookSafe or Safe Catering) that is current and reviewed.

Every food handler holds current Level 2 food safety training with certificates on file, and a supervisor holds Level 3.

Records are filled in at the point of the task, not back-filled, and you keep goods-in and delivery checks.

You keep traceability records (one-up, one-down) and log corrective actions whenever a check fails.

Answer all 12 questions to see your score.

How the readiness score works

Every food hygiene inspection in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is scored the same way. An EHO assesses three areas and gives each a score — and, crucially, lower scores are better. Those three areas are the backbone of this tool, and each one has four questions:

  • Food hygiene & safety practices (scored 0–25) — how you handle, cook, cool and store food: temperature control, cross-contamination, allergens and personal hygiene.
  • Structural condition of the premises (scored 0–25) — cleanliness and repair, handwash facilities, pest-proofing, layout, drainage and ventilation.
  • Confidence in management (scored 0, 5, 10, 20 or 30 — the scale skips 15 and 25) — your documented food safety management system, records, training and track record. This is the most heavily weighted area.

Why one weak area caps the whole result

Under the FHRS Brand Standard, your 0–5 rating is set by both the total of the three scores and the highest single score. Whichever gives the lower rating wins. A rating of 5 requires no area to score above 5. A Confidence in Management score of 20 caps the overall rating at 1, and a 30 caps it at 0 — no matter how spotless the kitchen looks. That is why you cannot offset a major weakness in one area with strength in the others, and it is exactly the logic this tool applies: your projected band is capped by your weakest strand, not averaged.

We map your Yes / Partly / No answers in each area to that area's FHRS score, then run the same total-plus-cap check the Brand Standard uses to land on a rating band. The scoring model is drawn from the Food Standards Agency's Food Hygiene Rating Scheme Brand Standard, which sets out how officers score and combine the three areas.

Total scoreNo single area aboveRating
0–1555 — very good
20104 — good
25–30103 — generally satisfactory
35–40152 — improvement necessary
45–50201 — major improvement necessary
Over 500 — urgent improvement required

This is a preparedness self-check, not an official prediction. Only an Environmental Health Officer can rate your business, and they assess far more detail than 12 questions can capture. Use your result to find and fix gaps before your next visit — not as a guarantee of the rating you will get.

Want the detail behind every question? Read the complete guide to EHO inspections, see exactly how the food hygiene rating is scored, or work through the printable EHO inspection prep checklist.

EHO readiness score FAQs

Common questions about the free EHO inspection readiness self-check.

Close the gaps before the EHO does

Forkto turns paper records into timestamped, inspection-ready evidence — the Confidence in Management proof that keeps your rating up. See how it works, or grab our free checklists first.