Course and certificate
Level 2 Food Hygiene and Safety for Catering
For anyone who prepares, cooks or serves food in a restaurant, café, pub, takeaway or kitchen in the UK. Ten short lessons in plain English cover food safety law, food poisoning, personal hygiene, cross-contamination, cleaning, temperature control, pests, allergens, HACCP and hygiene ratings, followed by a 30-question test.
- Jurisdiction
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Languages
- English, Български, Español, Italiano, Polski, Português, Română, Українська
- Lessons
- 10
- Time needed
- About 55 minutes for the lessons and the test
- Assessment
- 30 questions, pass mark 80%
- Refresher
- Recommended after 3 years
- Content updated
- 26 October 2026
- Certificate fee
- £12.00, payable after passing
01Who this course is for
- Chefs, cooks and kitchen porters
- Waiting, bar and front-of-house staff who serve food
- Café, takeaway, pub and food truck workers
- Care home, school and hospital catering staff
- Anyone starting a job that involves preparing or serving food in the UK
02Syllabus
- 01Food safety law and your responsibilities
- 02Food hazards and food poisoning
- 03Personal hygiene and fitness to work
- 04The 4 Cs and cross-contamination
- 05Cleaning and disinfection
- 06Chilling, freezing and storing food
- 07Cooking, hot holding and reheating
- 08Pests, premises and waste
- 09Food allergens
- 10HACCP, records and food hygiene ratings
03Assessment
30 multiple-choice questions drawn from the whole course. The pass mark is 80%. The test is free and can be retaken as often as needed; wrong answers point to the lesson to read again.
04The certificate
- With your name, your score and the date you passed.
- A unique number, recorded in our register.
- Your employer or an inspector scans it to see that it is genuine.
- Download it, print it or show it on your phone.
05Sources
The course follows the published guidance below. We are not affiliated with the bodies that publish it.
- FSA — Safer Food, Better Business
- FSA — Safer Food, Better Business for Caterers
- GOV.UK — Food hygiene for your business
- Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013
- FSA — Fitness to work guidance
- FSA — HACCP
06Questions
Do I need a food hygiene certificate to work with food?
UK law requires food handlers to be supervised and instructed or trained in food hygiene to suit their work. It does not name a particular certificate, but most employers ask for a Level 2 course like this one as evidence of training.
Is this certificate accredited?
No. It is a certificate of completion: it shows you finished the course and passed its test. It is not a regulated or accredited qualification, and your employer decides whether this training meets their requirements.
How long does it take?
Most people finish the lessons and the 30-question test in about an hour. You can stop and come back at any time on the same device.
What if I fail the test?
Nothing is charged. You see which lessons to read again and can retake the test as often as you need.
When do I pay, and how much?
Only after you pass: £12 for the certificate. The course and the test are free.
How does my employer check the certificate?
Every certificate has a number and a QR code. Scanning it, or entering the number on our check page, shows your name, the course and the date you passed.
How long is the certificate valid?
The law sets no expiry date. Refresher training every three years is common practice, so the certificate shows a renewal date three years after you pass.
The certificate confirms that you completed this course and passed its test. It is not a regulated or accredited qualification; your employer decides whether this training meets their requirements.