Navigating Cardiff EHO inspections with confidence
Independent food safety and HACCP support for Cardiff food businesses — built around the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) and how Shared Regulatory Services (Cardiff Council) actually inspects.
How food hygiene inspections work in Wales
Wales uses the same 0–5 FHRS score as England, but with one critical difference: mandatory display. Under the Food Hygiene Rating (Wales) Act 2013 you must show your sticker, and a poor score cannot be hidden from customers at the door.
We prepare your documentation and controls so the score you are legally obliged to display is one you are happy to show — and we move quickly to lift a low rating before the next inspection.
In Cardiff, displaying your FHRS sticker is a legal requirement under the Food Hygiene Rating (Wales) Act 2013 — a low score is visible to every customer at the door, so there is nowhere to hide a poor result.
The rating scheme
Cardiff is assessed under the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) — a 0–5 score, where 5 is "very good" — and in Wales you are legally required to display it. Your score is published on the FSA's public register at ratings.food.gov.uk and must be displayed at your entrance.
Displaying your result
In Wales, displaying your rating sticker is a legal requirement under the Food Hygiene Rating (Wales) Act 2013. Failing to display it is a criminal offence and can result in a fixed-penalty fine — so a low score is visible to every customer who walks in.
The legal standard
Compliance in Cardiff is set by the Food Safety Act 1990 and the Food Hygiene Rating (Wales) Act 2013, enforced by your local authority's Environmental Health team.
What is your current rating costing you?
52% of UK diners only book where the hygiene rating is 4 or above. A rating below that quietly excludes you from a large share of the market — every month it’s on display.
The 4+ Rating Threshold
52% of UK diners only book where the FSA hygiene rating is 4 or above. Below 4, half your potential market filters you out before they ever read your menu.
Rising Vigilance
55% of UK consumers checked a hygiene rating in the last 12 months — up from 41% pre‑pandemic. The audience watching is growing.
Rating Reality Calculator
See what your current rating is costing you in Cardiff
Select your rating and enter revenue to see your cost
From flagged to inspection-ready
Drag to see the difference a structured plan makes for a Cardiff kitchen — from the issues an inspector flags to a clean, organised, inspection-ready operation. Most kitchens need better records, controls and housekeeping, not a costly refit.
Inspection-ready
Flagged at inspectionHow this plays out in Cardiff
A Cardiff restaurant required by law to display its rating wanted to lift a 3 before it cost more covers. We audited the kitchen, rebuilt the records and controls the inspector had marked down, and prepared the team for a re-inspection that would put a score worth displaying back on the door.
This scenario is a composite based on typical engagements Kitchen Tonic handles for UK food businesses — not a specific named client.
Cardiff food safety: your questions
Food safety support across Wales
We cover food businesses throughout Wales. See our Wales food safety hub or another area below.