Bromley has been ranked as one of London's best boroughs for food hygiene, with restaurants, cafés and takeaways receiving some of the capital's highest inspection scores.
New research by food hygiene training provider High Speed Training found Bromley has the fourth-highest average food hygiene rating in London, scoring 4.64 out of five across 1,011 food businesses.
Only Kensington and Chelsea (4.81), the City of London (4.77) and Merton (4.74) ranked higher.
The findings come from an analysis of Food Standards Agency (FSA) data covering more than 239,000 food businesses across the UK over the past five years.
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Greenwich also performed strongly, ranking sixth in London with an average score of 4.62, while Bexley came 17th with 4.37 and neighbouring Croydon placed 18th on 4.35.
Lewisham ranked 19th with an average score of 4.32.
Overall, London ranked 10th out of the UK's 11 regions, with an average food hygiene score of 4.39.
Under the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS), businesses are given a score between zero and five following inspections by Environmental Health Officers.
A rating of five means hygiene standards are "very good", while a zero indicates urgent improvements are needed.
Inspectors assess businesses on three key areas: how hygienically food is handled, the cleanliness and condition of the premises, and how food safety is managed.
The Food Standards Agency says the ratings help consumers make informed choices about where they eat while encouraging businesses to maintain high hygiene standards.
High Speed Training, which has produced annual reports on food hygiene data since 2022, said the latest findings highlight how hygiene standards have changed across the country over the past five years.
London's top 10 boroughs for food hygiene
- Kensington and Chelsea – 4.81
- City of London – 4.77
- Merton – 4.74
- Bromley – 4.64
- Wandsworth – 4.63
- Greenwich – 4.62
- Richmond upon Thames – 4.59
- Haringey – 4.57
- Hammersmith and Fulham – 4.56
- Southwark – 4.55
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.
"Over the last 5 years, we have seen trends broadly improve across the whole of the UK, which is a really positive sign.
"These ratings are a direct reflection of how safely and hygienically that establishment operates, and we urge businesses and customers to take them seriously.
“For businesses that perform well, a high rating is a real selling point. However, establishments with a low hygiene rating can be extremely off-putting for customers, and may have a significant impact on reputation and profitability.”
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