Guides
What Level of Food Hygiene Do I Need?
Most people who prepare, cook or serve open food in the UK choose Level 2. See which level usually suits your role, and who makes the decision.
By the Food Hygiene Hub team · 2 min read
The short answer
Most people who prepare, cook or serve open food choose Level 2. Level 1 suits people who mainly handle wrapped food or very little open food, and Level 3 suits supervisors, managers and owners. No law sets a level, so your employer decides what your role needs.
Which level suits which role?
These are common choices, not legal rules:
- Shelf-fillers and staff handling wrapped food: Level 1
- Waiting staff and baristas: Level 1 or Level 2, depending on the food they handle
- Chefs, cooks and kitchen assistants: Level 2
- Deli and butchery counter staff: Level 2
- Home bakers and market traders: Level 2
- Head chefs, supervisors and managers: Level 3
- People who manage food safety systems: Level 3 plus HACCP training
What do the levels mean?
Level 1, 2 and 3 describe how deep the course goes. They are not levels on the RQF or SCQF qualification frameworks. Our certificates are private certificates of completion, not regulated qualifications.
Do I need anything else?
Anyone who answers customer questions or makes food should understand allergens, so many people add allergen training. If you pack food on site before it is sold, labelling training is useful too.
Our certificates are private training certificates of completion, not regulated qualifications. UK law does not require one specific food hygiene certificate. It requires food handlers to be supervised and instructed or trained appropriately. Employers decide what training each role needs, and a certificate does not replace practical instruction or supervision.
Relevant training
