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How to get a 5 Star Hygiene Rating When Rebranding

How To Get a 5 Star Hygiene Rating When Rebranding


Introduction

Imagine this scenario…

A food business owner pours money into rebranding a high-end restaurant. No expense is spared. Stunning decor, enticing new menu, and anticipation builds. Naturally, the owner and the team expect to see a 5-star hygiene rating displayed on their front door. They are already thinking of how proud they will feel. But things don’t always pan out as we expect, do they.

On EHO inspection day, things unravel rapidly. Instead of that prized 5-star hygiene rating, the EHO delivers a dismal 1-star rating.  Suddenly, over-confidence and pride turn to disbelief, confusion, anger and frustration.

So, what went wrong? And what lessons can be learned?  Because this scenario, although made up, is more common than you might think.

Let’s rewind and find out.


Why Did the 5 Star Hygiene Rating Go Awry – What Went Wrong?

We’ll start with the cost of the rebrand, just to put things into context.  According to one Branding Agency, Frontify, rebranding prices vary between $30,000 – $80,000.  This figure depends on whether a brand refresh, or complete brand reboot is settled upon.  Naturally, the owner expects a return on their investment (ROI).  Yet this will not materialise in the expected timescale if the business fails its EHO inspection. 

So what were the factors that contributed to the dismal 1 score?  Why did the rebranding project fail to achieve the anticipated 5-star hygiene rating?  Well, if we look closely, there is a pattern – make sure you don’t make these critical mistakes.


Too Much Attention & Time Given to Branding Aesthetics

A few weeks before the relaunch date, the food hygiene consultant is called in.  This is the first critical error.

The owner proudly shares pictures of the newly refurbished interior and beautifully plated dishes on social media. An impressive advertising board in town showcases the head chef cooking over roaring charcoal flames. Reservations are pouring in, and confidence is high about achieving a 5-star hygiene rating.  As you can imagine, the emphasis is on beauty – not legal food safety compliance.

**Lesson 1** Aesthetics are important—but without excellent food hygiene and safety, that 5-star hygiene rating will be impossible to achieve.  Don’t spend all that investment and consider rebranding in isolation.  You will be putting the business reputation and revenue goals at risk.


Inadequate Time to Prepare for the EHO Inspection

In our imaginary scenario, it doesn’t take the food safety consultant long to realise there’s far too much to do—and too little time to do it.  Fatal mistakes have been made with design and layout.  Instead of a few weeks, the work to achieve food safety compliance requires at least three months of preparation time. Even the best consultant isn’t a magician—they can’t conjure extra time if the business launches prematurely.

**Lesson 2** Allow adequate preparation time if aiming for a 5-star hygiene rating. Plan for the EHO inspection in advance.  At least talk to the consultant along-side any construction work, refurbishment, and redesign. This allows mistakes to be avoided or corrected early.


Not Enough Time To Embed The Food Safety Management System Into Practice

 A robust Food Safety Management System is essential.  It must reflect the new menu clearly. Gourmet dishes using high risk foods (e.g. live raw shellfish, or steak tartare), and use of complex processes (e.g. sous vide cooking), or complex equipment (e.g. vacuum packing) require careful thought, and documentation. In addition, new monitoring procedures may need to be developed and consistently implemented. In this scenario, the management team had provided new staff training to cover customer service standards.  However they failed to allow sufficient time to train and supervise staff in the new menu, and food safety processes.  Embedding the food safety management into practice was overlooked. 

**Lesson 3** Treat the Food Safety Management System as a living, breathing document.  It is not supposed to sit in a corner and gather dust.  Ensure you allow enough time to bring this important document to life.  


Lack of Awareness About What Is Assessed - Rules Of The EHO Inspection

EHO inspection day arrives unexpectedly early. Perhaps the Instagram activity caught the inspector’s attention.  Nevertheless, the business ran out of time to fully prepare. And the result is a dismal 1-star hygiene rating.  Which of course will conflict with that beautiful branding. And customers WILL notice!

So what did the inspector find?  Well, mismatches became obvious. The paperwork did not match actual staff practices, risks were not fully documented, and staff struggled to answer the EHO’s questions.

So instead of celebrating a sparkling relaunch day with a proud 5-star hygiene rating, the owner now faces immediate damage control.  Not just damage to ego and pride – but damage to business reputation and revenue loss from a poor hygiene score.

**Lesson 4** Take some time to become familiar with what will be assessed during an EHO inspection.  When you become aware of the ‘rules of the game’ you won’t feel like you are walking around in the dark.  Get prepared!

Quick Summary - What The EHO Inspection Will Be Assessing

When rebranding, if your goal is a 5-star hygiene rating, you need clarity about exactly what the EHO will be assessing you against.

The EHO inspection closely examines any changes since the last inspection, particularly new menu items. The inspector will be looking at what is actually in place, what your management system states is in place, and whether you are meeting legal requirements set down in food law. Best practice counts here too.  They will:

– Have detailed conversations with you and your staff, assessing your knowledge and awareness of food risks relating to items on the menu

– Directly observe workplace practices, including personal hygiene and how staff follow safety procedures 

– Examine your documentation and paperwork 

Your food safety consultant is there to support you – to identify and close gaps between your paperwork, policies, procedures, and practices.  A good consultant will ensure your business is fully prepared to meet your goal—the prized 5-star hygiene rating hanging from the entrance 🙂 


Key Lessons Learned

 

1.  Allow sufficient preparation time:   Aim for at least three months before relaunching to iron out any problems. And if you plan to use a food safety consultant, invite them in during the early planning and design stages. 

2.  Balance aesthetics and legal compliance:   Both branding and food safety must be prioritised equally.  If you want that 5-star hygiene rating goal to be realised – stop the siloed thinking.

3.  Update and document thoroughly:   Ensure your Food Safety Management System (and HACCP Plan) accurately reflects your new menu, new processes and new equipment.

4.  Get everyone on board with the goal:   Train your staff comprehensively. And overcome  resistance to any new habits that need to form.  Set the right attitudes and behaviours.  Then practice, observe, give feedback and correct.  Rinse and repeat until new behaviours are embedded and normalised.

5.  Understand EHO inspection criteria clearly:   Get to know what EHOs look for, how they gather evidence and how scores are allocated. Familiarise yourself with what to do if things go badly wrong.  You have the Right to Appeal, Right to Reply, and if your score is dismal, you can apply for a Re-Inspection.


Ready to Secure Your 5 Star Hygiene Rating?

🟢 Don’t leave your reputation—or your rating—to chance when rebranding.

Need expert support getting ready for your EHO inspection? We help food businesses confidently prepare for launch, relaunch, or reinspection—without the panic. 

📩 Get in touch with us today to take the first step toward your 5-star hygiene rating.

👉 Need help managing a hygiene rating crisis?  Download the Crisis Comms Kit to learn how to control the narrative and rebuild trust.

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