Nine in Ten Cheltenham Food Businesses Have a Five-Star Hygiene Rating

How Cheltenham's restaurants, takeaways, shops and caterers score on food hygiene, by type of business, from the Food Standards Agency's published ratings.

Analysis· By Mat Benfield
Published 6 October 2026 · Updated 8 October 2026

Cheltenham Open Data analysed the latest food hygiene rating of every food business in Cheltenham with a current rating. The town scores well: 913 of 1,020 rated businesses (about 90%) have the top rating of 5, “very good”, and just four are rated 1 or 2. None is rated 0. Our food hygiene page lists every business and its latest rating, with a list of five-rated places.

913 of Cheltenham's 1,020 rated food businesses have the top hygiene rating of 5, but only three in four takeaways and smaller shops do.

Source: Food Standards Agency food hygiene ratings.

Bar chart of the share of Cheltenham food businesses rated 5 for hygiene, by type of business. Takeaways and sandwich shops are lowest at 75.8%, then other retailers at 77.3%. Restaurants and cafés are 89.3%, and mobile caterers 100%.
Download the chart as SVG or PNG · Download the data (CSV) · See the live data

Key Figures

  • 913 of 1,020 rated food businesses have a rating of 5.
  • 4 are rated 1 or 2, needing improvement, and none is rated 0.
  • 75.8% of takeaways and sandwich shops are rated 5 (72 of 95), the lowest of any type.
  • 77.3% of other shops, not counting supermarkets, are rated 5 (99 of 128).
  • 1,001 of 1,020 ratings were given in 2024 or later.

By Type of Business

Places that care for people score highest. Of 82 hospitals, childcare and care settings, 81 are rated 5, as are 63 of 64 schools, colleges and university sites, and all 48 mobile caterers. Restaurants, cafés and canteens are close to the town average at 89.3% (276 of 309), as are pubs, bars and nightclubs at 90.1% (82 of 91).

Takeaways and smaller shops are the exception. About three in four are rated 5, and most of the rest are rated 4, “good”. Of the four businesses rated 1 or 2, two are restaurants or cafés, one is a supermarket and one is another shop.

How the Ratings Break Down

Rating Meaning Businesses
5 Very good 913
4 Good 88
3 Generally satisfactory 15
2 Improvement necessary 1
1 Major improvement necessary 3
0 Urgent improvement necessary 0

Another 33 businesses are waiting for their first inspection, and 32 are exempt, usually because the food risk is very low.

  • Data from the Food Standards Agency, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Last updated 2026-10-06.

Notes to Editors

  • Method: Every business in Cheltenham with a current food hygiene rating from 0 to 5, grouped by the Food Standards Agency’s own business types. Shares by type are shown for types with at least 20 rated businesses. Businesses awaiting inspection or exempt are left out of the shares.
  • Source: Food Standards Agency food hygiene rating data, from inspections carried out by Cheltenham Borough Council.
  • Caveats: A rating reflects the business on the day of its last inspection. Businesses can ask for a revisit after making improvements, so a low rating may already be under review. Ratings measure hygiene and food safety management, not the quality or taste of the food.
  • Data and updates: The food hygiene page refreshes as new inspections are published. For questions or interviews, use the contact page.

Cite This

Please credit Cheltenham Open Data and link to this page. Suggested citation:

Cheltenham Open Data (2026). Nine in Ten Cheltenham Food Businesses Have a Five-Star Hygiene Rating. Published 2026-10-06. https://cheltenham-od.uk/news/food-hygiene-ratings-breakdown. Data: Food Standards Agency food hygiene ratings, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

To embed the chart on your own site, copy this code:

<a href="https://cheltenham-od.uk/news/food-hygiene-ratings-breakdown"><img src="https://cheltenham-od.uk/assets/findings/cheltenham-food-hygiene-ratings.svg" alt="Bar chart of the share of Cheltenham food businesses rated 5 for hygiene, by type of business. Takeaways and sandwich shops are lowest at 75.8%, then other retailers at 77.3%. Restaurants and cafés are 89.3%, and mobile caterers 100%." width="640"></a>

The chart and data are free to reuse with credit. The underlying data is published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it, with a note on this page saying what changed and when.

FAQs

What Does a Rating Measure?

  • Inspectors from Cheltenham Borough Council check how food is handled, stored and prepared, the condition of the premises, and how the business manages food safety. A rating isn’t a guide to the food’s quality or taste.

Which Cheltenham Food Businesses Score Lowest?

  • Takeaways and sandwich shops, where 75.8% are rated 5, and smaller shops other than supermarkets, at 77.3%. Most of the rest in both groups are rated 4, “good”.

Where Does the Data Come From?

  • From the Food Standards Agency’s published ratings, under the Open Government Licence. Figures are as of 2026-10-06, and the food hygiene page refreshes as new inspections are published.

Can I Get Updates?

  • The Cheltenham Week Ahead is a free Monday email with what’s new on the site, plus the week’s weather, roadworks, what’s on and top local stories.