Eastbourne ranks above the UK average for food hygiene
Eastbourne’s food businesses rank above the UK national average for hygiene ratings, according to new data from The Food Standards Agency.
Of the town’s 1,036 registered food businesses, 76.3% hold five-star ratings – comfortably higher than the 68.8% national average and also above the South East’s 72.7% (credit: Paddl).
Eastbourne’s businesses’ average rating of 4.77 is closely matched to the neighbouring Wealden district’s 4.71 rating, where 75.2% of businesses are rated five stars, and both surpassed the national average of 4.65.
Elsewhere in Sussex, Chichester’s food businesses ranked eighth in the UK for the highest average rating (4.92), with an impressive 86.7% rated five stars.
The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme covers the whole food sector, not just hospitality like pubs and cafes but also including retailers, schools, care homes, manufacturers and mobile caterers.
The 2026 report analysed 549,668 businesses across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, while Scotland uses the Food Hygiene Information Scheme which gives a ‘pass’ or ‘improvement required’ result.