Birmingham night time economy ambassador hits out at 'worst' food hygiene study

Food establishments in Birmingham have been named the 'most unhygienic in the UK' by a food labelling specialist - but a city night time ambassador claims the figures support an 'inaccurate and damaging narrative'.

Birmingham has the highest proportion of two star or lower food hygiene ratings. That’s according to new analysis which says hundreds of eateries in the city received a one-star food hygiene rating - meaning ‘major improvement is necessary’. 

The data shows that in Birmingham, 7.15% of restaurants have a 2* or lower food hygiene rating - meaning the city has the 'worst' ratings in the UK. A 5-star rating means hygiene standards are very good, while 0 means urgent improvement is required.

But Lyle Bignon, Night Time Economy Ambassador for Birmingham, says many of the ratings included in the data are for non-traditional food establishments, such as off-licences, and that the figures support an 'inaccurate and damaging narrative around the city’s food scene.'

The research comes from food labelling specialists, The Barcode Warehouse. Researchers there analysed data from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) for more than 150,000 businesses across the UK - excluding Scotland - to identify the locations with the most 'unhygienic eateries.'  

Their analysis showed that Birmingham finished in first place. Of the 10,190 businesses analysed in the city, 7.15% received a rating of two-stars or less - the lowest rating for food hygiene standards. That’s considerably worse than neighbouring Wolverhampton, where just 2.10% of restaurants were graded sub-standard food hygiene ratings.

The food hygiene rating scheme gives businesses a rating from 5 to 0 which is displayed at premises and online so customers can make more informed choices about where to buy and eat food.

The 5 locations where restaurants have the worst food hygiene ratings were found to be: 

Ipswich, Nottingham and Bournemouth were among the eateries with the best food hygiene ratings. In Ipswich, the research found 86.52% of eateries had five star food hygiene ratings. In Nottingham, it was 78.58%, and in Bournemouth it was 78.49%. Swindon was next, with 75.97% of eateries having a hygiene rating of 5, and in Oxford 74.97% of eateries have a 5 star hygiene rating.

Responding to the figures, Lyle Bignon, Night Time Economy Ambassador for Birmingham, working on behalf of the Night Time Industries Association, claimed that the figures support an 'inaccurate narrative' around Birmingham's food scene as they haven't analysed traditional food establishments.

He said: “According to an analysis by West Midlands Combined Authority, around 200 of the premises within this data are supermarkets, off-licences, food retail specialists like butchers and fishmongers, as well as schools and care homes.

“The inclusion of ratings for non-traditional food establishments within this research skews the figures. This in turn supports an inaccurate and damaging narrative around the city’s restaurant, hotel and independent food and drink sectors. Birmingham is renowned for its food and drink offering, and it is thanks to the professionalism of tens of thousands of front and back of house hospitality workers that our city has achieved a global reputation in this area.“

Following on from this research, we've decided to take a look at the restaurants in the city which currently have zero food hygiene ratings.