Kensington and Chelsea has been named the best-performing London borough for food hygiene standards, while Ealing has the lowest average rating in the capital, according to new research examining Food Standards Agency (FSA) data across tens of thousands of food premises.

The findings come from High Speed Training, a Yorkshire-based online training provider, which has published its fifth annual Food Hygiene Ratings Report. The study analysed FSA inspection data for almost 240,000 food businesses across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, covering restaurants, cafes, canteens, takeaways, sandwich shops, pubs, bars, nightclubs, hotels and guest houses.

London’s overall average food hygiene rating stood at 4.39 across 36,804 premises — an increase of 0.01 from the previous year’s figure of 4.38 — placing the capital 10th among the regions analysed nationally. The number of premises assessed rose by 421 compared with 2025.

Borough by borough: winners and losers

Kensington and Chelsea achieved the highest average rating in the capital at 4.81, assessed across more than 1,000 premises, representing a marginal improvement of 0.02 from 2025. At the other end of the scale, Ealing recorded an average of just 3.91 — the lowest of any London borough — a slight decline of 0.02 on the previous year, placing it 30th among the 33 London boroughs examined.

Lewisham was identified as the biggest improver in the capital, with its average rating rising by 0.19 points to 4.32, lifting it to 19th place overall. Its 2025 average had stood at 4.13. Bromley (4.64) and Lewisham both moved up two positions in the London rankings compared with their 2025 standings.

By contrast, Hillingdon experienced the sharpest decline, with its average rating falling by 0.12 points from 4.24 to 4.12, causing it to drop nine places in the London rankings to 26th position.

Takeaways and lower-rated premises remain a concern

The report highlights particular concerns around takeaways and sandwich shops, with 22.31% of establishments in that category across London scoring a rating of 3 or below — the threshold below which the FSA considers hygiene standards to require improvement. Across all premises in London, 192 received the lowest possible score of 0, while a further 823 scored 1. In total, 6,014 premises scored 3 or below.

Despite these figures, the majority of London’s food businesses perform well. Some 83.66% of all premises in the capital scored a 4 or 5, including 84.34% of restaurants, cafes and canteens. The most common rating in London was the maximum score of 5, achieved by 65.08% of all assessed premises.

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS), a partnership between the FSA and local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, was launched in 2010. Ratings are determined by inspectors who assess food handling practices, the physical condition of the premises and food safety management procedures. In Wales and Northern Ireland, businesses are legally required to display their rating prominently; in England, display remains best practice rather than a statutory obligation — a distinction that consumer groups have long argued should be changed.

National context and five-year trends

Nationally, Ipswich and Southport were the highest-rated towns in the report, both recording average scores of 4.92, while the South West was the top-performing region with an average of 4.69. Across the five years the report has been running, overall average ratings have risen from 4.49 in 2022 to 4.58 in 2026, with only a brief dip in 2024 when the national average fell slightly to 4.47. All but one of the analysed regions improved between 2022 and 2026, with the West Midlands and the North East recording the biggest gains, each rising by 0.10. London’s average has increased from 4.31 in 2022 to 4.39 in 2026.

Dr Richard Anderson, Director of Learning at High Speed Training, said: