How to Report a Restaurant for Poor Hygiene or Food Safety

Quick answer. To report a restaurant for poor hygiene or food poisoning in the UK, contact the food-safety / environmental health team at the local council for the area where the business operates — find it on gov.uk using the business postcode. Include the business name and address, the date, what you ate or saw, your symptoms and their timing, and any photos or receipts. You can report anonymously, and your report can trigger an inspection or enforcement action.

If a restaurant or takeaway has unsafe practices — visible dirt, pests, staff hygiene problems, or food that made you ill — reporting it is the most effective thing you can do. Local councils rely on these reports to target inspections and catch problems early. Here’s exactly how to do it.

Step 1: Find the right council

Food hygiene is enforced by local authorities, so you report to the council where the business is located — not necessarily where you live, which matters for delivery and virtual brands. Go to gov.uk, search “report a food safety or hygiene issue,” and enter the business postcode to be directed to the correct council’s environmental health team.

Step 2: Gather the details

A useful report is specific. Include:

Business name and full address.
Date and time of your visit or order.
What you ate or what you observed (be concrete).
For suspected food poisoning: your symptoms and exactly when they began.
Evidence: photos, packaging, receipts, order confirmations.

Step 3: Submit the report

Most councils offer an online form, plus phone and email. You can usually report anonymously, but providing contact details lets them follow up — important for food-poisoning cases, where linking multiple reports can reveal an outbreak. Submit promptly while details are fresh.

What happens next

The council assesses your complaint and decides how to act. Possible outcomes include an unannounced inspection, a request for improvements, a re-rating, or — in serious cases — a hygiene improvement notice, a prohibition order, or prosecution. You may not be told the outcome individually, but your report becomes part of the business’s record and can prompt the re-inspection that updates its published hygiene rating.

If you ordered through a delivery app

Also report it to the platform — this is separate from, and additional to, the council. Through GeraEats, contact support with your order details: we can issue refunds where appropriate and feed credible food-safety reports into our partner review process, because we only work with restaurants that meet our food-safety standards. Reporting to both the council and the platform gives your complaint the most reach.

Related: if you’ve been made ill

If you suspect food poisoning, read what to do about food poisoning from a takeaway first — including when to seek medical help. To check a business’s record before or after, use our food hygiene ratings directory. Holding providers to a published standard is a principle that runs across Gera — from GeraHome’s verified tradespeople to signed Gera Action Warranty receipts on eligible bookings.

Frequently asked questions

Who do I report a dirty restaurant to in the UK?

Report it to the food-safety / environmental health team at the local council for the area where the business operates. You can find the right council on gov.uk by entering the business postcode. They are responsible for investigating hygiene complaints and food-poisoning reports.

What information should I include when reporting a restaurant?

The business name and address, the date and time of your visit or order, what you ate or saw, your symptoms and when they started (for suspected food poisoning), and any evidence like photos, packaging or receipts. The more specific, the more useful.

Can I report a restaurant anonymously?

Yes, most councils accept anonymous complaints, though giving contact details helps them follow up if they need more information. For suspected food poisoning, your details help them link cases and identify outbreaks.

What happens after I report a restaurant?

The council assesses the complaint and may inspect the business, request improvements, re-rate it, or in serious cases take enforcement action such as a hygiene improvement notice, prohibition, or prosecution. You may not always be told the outcome, but your report contributes to the record.