# Food Standards Agency API: Find food hygiene ratings

> Finds food businesses by name and town, street or postcode and returns their official food hygiene rating, inspection date and score descriptions. Scottish ratings usually have no component scores.

Unofficial. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Food Standards Agency.

- Page: https://fous.com/methods/ratings.food.gov.uk/get-hygiene-rating
- Method: `ratings.food.gov.uk/get_hygiene_rating`, version 1
- Website: ratings.food.gov.uk
- Returns: business name, type, address, postcode, rating, last inspection date, hygiene, structure and management scores, local authority, rating page URL
- Effect: read (it gets data and changes nothing)
- Sign-in: none needed
- Cost: 1 credit per completed run (1¢ with pay as you go); failed runs are free
- Verified: Nov 2, 2026

## Inputs

| Field | Type | Required | In the run below | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `business` | string | yes | `"Pret A Manger"` | Name of the restaurant, cafe, takeaway, or shop, for example Pret A Manger. |
| `location` | string | yes | `"Leeds"` | Town, street, or postcode, for example Leeds or LS1 4DT. |
| `max_results` | integer | no |  | Maximum number of matching businesses to return, for example 10. Default 10. |

## Output

From a run on Oct 23, 2026, shortened. Its input:

```json
{
  "business": "Pret A Manger",
  "location": "Leeds"
}
```

Its output:

```json
{
  "businesses": [
    {
      "rating": "5",
      "fhrs_id": 877764,
      "hygiene": "Very good",
      "postcode": "LS1 4DT",
      "structure": "Good",
      "full_address": "New Station Street, Leeds, LS1 4DT",
      "business_name": "Pret A Manger",
      "business_type": "Other catering premises",
      "rating_meaning": "5 - Very good",
      "local_authority": "Leeds",
      "rating_page_url": "https://ratings.food.gov.uk/business/877764",
      "last_inspection_date": "2021-07-14",
      "confidence_in_management": "Good"
    },
    {
      "rating": "5",
      "fhrs_id": 937212,
      "hygiene": "Very good",
      "postcode": "LS2 7AR",
      "structure": "Good",
      "full_address": "Unit 20 Victoria Gate, Harewood Street, Leeds, LS2 7AR",
      "business_name": "Pret A Manger",
      "business_type": "Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen",
      "rating_meaning": "5 - Very good",
      "local_authority": "Leeds",
      "rating_page_url": "https://ratings.food.gov.uk/business/937212",
      "last_inspection_date": "2026-07-22",
      "confidence_in_management": "Very good"
    },
    {
      "rating": "5",
      "fhrs_id": 1685030,
      "hygiene": "Good",
      "postcode": "LS1 6AW",
      "structure": "Good",
      "full_address": "6 Lands Lane, Leeds, LS1 6AW",
      "business_name": "Pret A Manger Lands Lane",
      "business_type": "Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen",
      "rating_meaning": "5 - Very good",
      "local_authority": "Leeds",
      "rating_page_url": "https://ratings.food.gov.uk/business/1685030",
      "last_inspection_date": "2026-08-26",
      "confidence_in_management": "Very good"
    }
  ]
}
```

## Run it

From code, with a Fous API key in `FOUS_API_KEY`; the answer's `data` holds the output:

```bash
curl https://api.fous.com/v1/runs \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $FOUS_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"method":"ratings.food.gov.uk/get_hygiene_rating","input":{"business":"Pret A Manger","location":"Leeds"}}'
```

From an AI agent connected to the Fous MCP server: its `run` with the same method and input. To connect one, give it `set up https://fous.com/SKILL.md`.

## Ask your agent

- What hygiene rating does the Pret A Manger on Oxford Street in London have?
- Look up the food hygiene score for a takeaway called Dragon Palace in Leeds LS1 4DT.
- Can you find the latest inspection date and rating for the cafe Costa Coffee in Manchester?
- Check food safety ratings for any bakeries on High Street, Bristol, with their hygiene and structure scores.
- Show me the official food hygiene rating and local authority for Nando's in Edinburgh on food.gov.uk.

## Input schema

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "business",
    "location"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "business": {
      "type": "string",
      "minLength": 1,
      "description": "Name of the restaurant, cafe, takeaway, or shop, for example Pret A Manger."
    },
    "location": {
      "type": "string",
      "minLength": 1,
      "description": "Town, street, or postcode, for example Leeds or LS1 4DT."
    },
    "max_results": {
      "type": "integer",
      "default": 10,
      "maximum": 50,
      "minimum": 1,
      "description": "Maximum number of matching businesses to return, for example 10."
    }
  }
}
```

## Output schema

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "businesses"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "businesses": {
      "type": "array",
      "items": {
        "type": "object",
        "required": [
          "business_name",
          "business_type",
          "full_address",
          "postcode",
          "rating",
          "rating_meaning",
          "last_inspection_date",
          "hygiene",
          "structure",
          "confidence_in_management",
          "local_authority",
          "rating_page_url",
          "fhrs_id"
        ],
        "properties": {
          "rating": {
            "type": [
              "string",
              "null"
            ],
            "description": "Food hygiene rating, or Scottish inspection outcome."
          },
          "fhrs_id": {
            "type": "integer",
            "description": "Official FHRS establishment identifier."
          },
          "hygiene": {
            "type": [
              "string",
              "null"
            ],
            "description": "Food handling standard in words."
          },
          "postcode": {
            "type": [
              "string",
              "null"
            ],
            "description": "Business postcode."
          },
          "structure": {
            "type": [
              "string",
              "null"
            ],
            "description": "Premises and facilities standard in words."
          },
          "full_address": {
            "type": "string",
            "description": "Full street address including postcode."
          },
          "business_name": {
            "type": "string",
            "description": "Name of the business."
          },
          "business_type": {
            "type": [
              "string",
              "null"
            ],
            "description": "Type of food business."
          },
          "rating_meaning": {
            "type": [
              "string",
              "null"
            ],
            "description": "Rating and its meaning in words."
          },
          "local_authority": {
            "type": [
              "string",
              "null"
            ],
            "description": "Authority that inspected the business."
          },
          "rating_page_url": {
            "type": "string",
            "format": "uri",
            "description": "Official business rating page."
          },
          "last_inspection_date": {
            "type": [
              "string",
              "null"
            ],
            "format": "date",
            "description": "Date of the latest published inspection."
          },
          "confidence_in_management": {
            "type": [
              "string",
              "null"
            ],
            "description": "Food safety management standard in words."
          }
        },
        "additionalProperties": false
      },
      "description": "Matching food businesses, best match first."
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false
}
```

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