Food Guard ranks the UK’s biggest names by hygiene — and some slogans aren’t matching reality
New data from food traceability software provider Food Guard has revealed which of the UK’s high street giants are delivering spotless kitchens — and which are falling short — based on inspections carried out between January 2024 and August 2025.
The analysis pits pizza chains, supermarkets, sandwich shops, and coffee brands against each other, comparing their official Food Standards Agency (FSA) hygiene ratings against the image their marketing portrays.
Pizza Chains — Domino’s takes the crown
Domino’s – 91.62% 5 (“The Official Food of Everything” — including top marks.)
Pizza Express – 88.63% 5 (“Good times. Together” — and clean kitchens to match.)
Papa John’s – 82.84% 5 (“Better Ingredients. Better Pizza” — but room for better hygiene scores.)
Pizza Hut – 74.68% 5 (“No one outpizzas the Hut” — but plenty outscore them on cleanliness.)
Sandwich & Bakery — Pret A Manger leads, Subway struggles
Pret A Manger – 90.10% 5 (Freshly prepared and consistently spotless.)
Greggs – 87.02% 5 (“It’s the way we make it” — and they make it clean.)
Subway – 76.44% 5 (“Eat Fresh” — but nearly 1 in 4 sites aren’t fresh enough for top marks.)
Supermarkets — Sainsbury’s out in front, Morrisons far behind
Sainsbury’s – 90.25% 5 (“Live Well for Less” — with hygiene to live by.)
Lidl – 86.12% 5 (“Big on Quality” — and standards too.)
Aldi – 86.10% 5 (“Everyday Amazing” — hygiene included.)
Tesco – 85.87% 5 (“Every Little Helps” — especially when it’s spotless.)
Asda – 78.46% 5 (“Save Money. Live Better” — but not always dine better.)
Morrisons – 67.08% 5 (“Make Good Things Happen” — except in a third of stores, according to inspectors.)
Coffee Chains — Pret tops, Caffè Nero flatters to deceive
Pret A Manger – 90.10% 5 (Strong coffee, stronger standards.)
Starbucks – 89.05% 5 (“It’s not just coffee. It’s Starbucks” — and it’s clean.)
Costa – 85.07% 5 (“The Nation’s Favourite Coffee” — with solid hygiene to back it up.)
Caffè Nero – 64.82% 5 (“The Italian Coffee Company” — but inspectors found standards lost in translation.)
Louis Ryan, founder of Food Guard, said:
“Big brands spend millions telling us about quality, but the numbers don’t lie. While some are delivering excellence across hundreds of locations, others have surprising blind spots.
Hygiene isn’t about catchy slogans, it’s about consistent processes that protect customers day in, day out. That’s where Food Guard comes in — giving businesses the tools to track, prove, and improve their standards before the inspector calls.”
