One in 40 drinking establishments fails to meet food hygiene standards – and you can find out if your local is on the list.

Inspections from Food Standards Agency (FSA) have revealed shocking issues – including rotting food, rodent droppings and unsafe storage practices, with dozens of venues receiving the lowest possible rating of zero.

Birmingham tops the list with 26 bars and restaurants failing to meet basic hygiene requirements. Other areas with high numbers of substandard venues include Cornwall, Powys and Wiltshire.

In London, Ealing recorded the worst hygiene record, with 15 bars falling short, while Waltham Forest reported the highest number of zero-rated establishments in the country.

Rural areas like East Lindsey, Doncaster and Cornwall also showed troubling patterns, highlighting that poor food hygiene is not confined to urban regions.

Under the FSA’s system, food establishments in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are rated from zero to five.

Ratings below two indicate a failure to meet minimum standards, with zero-rated venues requiring urgent improvements.

The scores focus on several key factors, including food handling, storage, facility cleanliness, and overall food safety management.

Local authorities are tasked with inspecting food establishments at least once every two years. However, staffing shortages and resource constraints have hampered inspection efforts in some areas, potentially leaving gaps in enforcement.

The findings come at a critical time for the hospitality industry.

As the UK faces a cost-of-living crisis, many establishments are already struggling to balance rising costs with maintaining high standards of cleanliness and food safety.

Across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 584 venues scored two, indicating necessary improvements. 445 venues scored one, requiring major improvements and 43 venues received zero, demanding urgent action.

In Scotland, which operates a pass/fail grading system, 224 pubs, bars, and nightclubs were marked as “Improvement Required.”

Despite these concerning figures, the majority of establishments maintain high standards, with nearly 33,700 achieving the top rating of five and an additional 7,766 scoring four.

The FSA said that these ratings represent a snapshot of the establishment’s hygiene at the time of inspection.

The ratings do not assess food quality, customer service or presentation, which can sometimes mislead patrons relying solely on the scores.