1. It’s easy to do it.

Once you’ve got your sticker, all you need to do is put it somewhere visible and you’re done. The main place people will look is on the front of your unit or on the door of your premises.

2. It improves the public view of the catering industry.

With the increasing interest in food hygiene standards and consumers’ new habits – particularly of researching food businesses before visiting – displaying your rating goes a long way to demonstrate that your food and premises are clean, safe and compliant with food safety law.

3. It makes event organisers more likely to book you.

If you’re an event caterer, an organiser has to make a choice between you and other traders who apply to work at their events. If the only thing separating you is your hygiene ratings, or even just the fact that one of you displays your rating and one doesn’t, chances are, the better rated business will win.

4. Organisers and EHOs search for hygiene ratings on NCASS Connect.

If you haven’t already uploaded your food hygiene rating to your NCASS profile, now’s the time to do it. You’ll be more likely to get booked for an event with a higher rating. You’re also likely to receive less visits from EHOs, as they’ll be able to see your compliant documentation from the comfort of their desks.

5. It allows customers to make informed decisions.

Knowing your hygiene rating gives a customer the information they need to make a more informed decision about where to eat so they can vote with their feet. 41% of consumers say they would definitely base their decision to eat somewhere on the FHRS rating the business received. And 47% said that if it was for a special occasion they would only go to a higher rated business.

6. It gives customers greater confidence in your food.

As a caterer your top priority should be to provide customers with delicious food that’s safe to eat. Knowing your hygiene rating will give a customer more confidence that you’re doing all you can to show them how safe your food is, and this will make them more likely to come back again.

7. Research shows that consumers find 3-5 ratings acceptable.

A rating of 5 is the most desirable, but if you’ve got a 4 or a 3, lots of people will still want to eat your food or try your drinks, so you’ve got no reason not to display the sticker.

8. If you trade in Wales, it’s a legal requirement.

In Wales it’s been a legal requirement to display your food hygiene rating at your premises since 2014. If you’re not displaying you’re breaking the law and letting your customers and your business down.

9. It’s likely to become mandatory in England too.

The Food Standards Agency are currently pushing to make display of food hygiene rating scores mandatory in England, just like it already is in Wales. There’s no set date on when it’s going to come in but when it does, you’ll need to be prepared to display your rating, no matter what it is.

10. You deserve some recognition for your hard work.

If you’ve put in the effort to get a rating of 5, you deserve for people to know about it. If someone sees that you’ve got a 4 or 5 rating they’ll know that you take their safety seriously and will choose to buy your food or drinks.