More than 340 food businesses in Ealing have been given low hygiene ratings following inspections by Ealing Council food safety officers, placing the borough among the worst in the UK, new analysis shows.
The study, carried out by Copley Pest Solutions using data from the Food Standards Agency, found Ealing had an average food hygiene rating of 4.19 out of five. Of the borough’s 2,949 rated establishments, 343 were given scores of two or below, including 34 awarded a zero, the lowest possible rating.
Under the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, businesses are graded from zero to five, with five meaning standards are “very good” and zero meaning “urgent improvement is necessary”. A score of two or below indicates that significant improvements are needed, while a zero can put a business at risk of closure if issues are not addressed.
Recent inspections have also highlighted concerns across Ealing. A branch of Wenzel’s in Ealing Broadway was given a zero rating following an inspection in February 2026, while a Papa Johns Pizza outlet in North Acton also received a zero earlier in January 2026. Meanwhile, the Odeon Luxe Acton was downgraded to a rating of two after a February 2026 inspection, meaning “improvement is necessary”.
Ealing was ranked joint third in the study alongside Bolton in Greater Manchester , with the same average score of 4.19, but stood out for the number of poorly rated premises. The borough also compared unfavourably with neighbouring areas: Hounslow averaged 4.60, Brent 4.57, and Hammersmith and Fulham 4.65, with far fewer businesses in the lowest categories.
Across the UK, London boroughs dominated the lower end of the rankings. Newham recorded the lowest average score, at 3.97, while Birmingham had the highest number of zero-rated businesses, with 96.
James Copley, chief executive of Copley Pest Solutions, said: “Ealing stands out in the rankings, with 343 food businesses receiving a hygiene rating of two or below. While the borough’s overall average rating of 4.19 may seem relatively strong at first glance, the number of establishments falling into the lowest brackets shows there are still plenty of kitchens where standards need to improve.
“Any food business with low scores should take immediate action and rectify their issues through proper training, courses, and education.”
Commenting on the findings, Councillor Gary Malcolm. leader of Ealing Liberal Democrats, said: “Ealing Liberal Democrats are concerned that Ealing ranks in the top three for poor food hygiene standards. This is an unacceptable risk to public health for residents who are likely to suffer increased exposure to various food-based hazards, such as bacterial contamination like E coli. This is not good news for the ailing high street and needs to be taken seriously both as a public health and an economic issue.”
