Lewisham has been named London’s most improved borough for food hygiene ratings, it has been revealed.
The title comes after Lewisham recorded the greatest year-on-year improvement in hygiene ratings across the capital in a new report by High Speed Training, which analysed data from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) covering nearly 240,000 food businesses.
Lewisham’s average rating climbed from 4.13 in 2025 to 4.32 in 2026, an increase of 0.19, moving the borough up two places to 19th out of 30 London authorities.
Among Lewisham’s neighbouring boroughs, Bromley ranked highest at fourth in London, with an average rating of 4.64 across 1,011 food outlets.
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Bromley also rose two places in the rankings, making it a joint-biggest climber alongside Lewisham.
Greenwich ranked sixth in London with an average rating of 4.62 across 835 businesses, while Bexley placed 17th with a score of 4.37 from 667 premises.
The London-wide average rating rose marginally from 4.38 in 2025 to 4.39 in 2026.
Kensington and Chelsea topped the table with an average score of 4.81, while Ealing ranked lowest at 3.91.
The report also revealed that 83.66 per cent of London’s food businesses achieved a rating of four or five.
However, 22.31 per cent of takeaways and sandwich shops received a rating of three or below.
In total, 6,014 premises across London were rated zero, one, two, or three, with 192 receiving the lowest possible rating of zero.
Dr Richard Anderson, director of learning at High Speed Training, said: "Food safety and robust hygiene practices should be of paramount importance to food businesses, and to the customers who use them.
"Our report shows that, on average, standards remain high across the UK, and have improved from 2025.
"We would urge customers to always check the food hygiene ratings of establishments they wish to dine at, as it allows them to make an informed decision when choosing where to eat."
The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme is operated by the FSA in partnership with local authorities.
Residents can check scores on the FSA’s online database before visiting restaurants, cafés, or takeaways here.
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