Online ordering for Aberdeen takeaways and cafés

Chefzi is an online ordering system for Aberdeen restaurants and takeaway shops, with no commission on orders. The ordering page is part of your own site; see takeaway website design. For the full picture, read how the online ordering system works. There are set-ups for each kind of shop, such as kebab shop ordering system and ordering for chicken shops.

# Online ordering for Aberdeen takeaways and cafés

Short answer: Aberdeen has 243 takeaways and 501 restaurants and cafés on the FSA register. Scotland doesn't use 0 to 5 stars. It uses the Food Hygiene Information Scheme (FHIS): Pass or Improvement Required. Only 67.1% of inspected Aberdeen takeaways have a Pass, against 86.9% across Scotland, the lowest of the 28 Scottish councils with 50 or more takeaways. A current Pass is a real selling point here. The trade is compact, with four in five takeaways within 2 miles of the centre point. Chefzi gives you a commission-free ordering site with no setup fee, free migration and the first month free. Your own domain is included.

How FHIS works

After an inspection, a Scottish food business gets one of three results:

• Pass: it meets the legal requirements for food hygiene.
• Improvement Required: it didn't meet them and has to make improvements.
• Exempt Premises: low-risk places that customers wouldn't think of as food businesses.

New businesses show as Awaiting Inspection. Separately, the Eat Safe award recognises businesses that go beyond the legal standard. Councils give out an FHIS certificate or sticker, but there's no legal duty to display it. Food Standards Scotland notes that some businesses choose not to. Every result is public on the FSA ratings site either way.

What Aberdeen's results show

One in three takeaways is on Improvement Required. 73 of the 222 inspected takeaways have that result. Aberdeen's restaurants and cafés do better (83.7% Pass), so this is a takeaway problem more than a city-wide one.

Recent inspections are tougher. Of the 54 takeaway results dated 2026, 31 are Improvement Required and 23 are Pass. In 2024 it was 13 Improvement Required and 38 Pass. The data doesn't say why: it could be stricter inspection, overdue visits finding problems, or real changes in kitchens. Either way, the next inspection is a risk worth preparing for.

Many results are old. 57.2% of takeaway results are more than two years old and a third (33.3%) more than three. Only 60 takeaways (24.7%) were inspected in the last 12 months. A Pass on your window from 2021 still counts, but customers who check the FSA site will see the date.

By district: AB10 (Holburn Street, Rose Street, the west end of Union Street) has an 83.3% Pass rate, and Bucksburn and Dyce (AB21) 84.6%. AB11 (city centre east, the harbour and Torry) is 56.8%. AB16 (Northfield, Mastrick, Cornhill) and AB15 (Summerhill, Kingswells) are both at about 42%.

What to do: if you're on Improvement Required, the inspection report lists what has to change. Fix it, keep records that show the fix, and contact Aberdeen City Council's food team about a follow-up. If you have a Pass, put a link to your FSA listing on your ordering page. In a city where a third of takeaways don't pass, it's a good reason for customers to pick you.

Compact centre, two rivers

Aberdeen's takeaways are tightly packed: the median one is a mile from the centre point and 81.2% are within 2 miles. The Dee to the south and the Don to the north define the outer runs.

• AB10 and AB11 (49 each): Union Street, Holburn Street, Bridge Street and the harbour. City-centre trade, offices by day and late crowds at weekends. Torry, across the Dee in AB11, has its own cluster along Victoria Road.
• AB24 (41): Great Northern Road, King Street, Old Aberdeen and Seaton. The University of Aberdeen and Pittodrie are both here, so term time and match days drive demand.
• AB25 (24): George Street and Rosemount. George Street alone has 11 takeaways.
• Outer areas: Bridge of Don (AB22, AB23), Bucksburn and Dyce (AB21), Cove and Kincorth (AB12). Fewer shops and longer runs. Price them as separate zones, or leave them out.

Use delivery zones to set a tight core zone and higher-fee outer ones, each with its own minimum order and delivery time.

Late hours catering licence

Under section 42 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, you need a late hours catering licence to use premises for selling food to the public between 11pm and 5am, whether it's eaten there or taken away. Aberdeen City Council requires one. You don't need it if the premises hold an alcohol licence or a public entertainment licence and you trade only within those hours. When you apply, you normally have to display a notice at the premises for 21 days, and objections can be made in that time. The council can set conditions on your hours, including different hours for eat-in and takeaway, and it publishes a late hours catering policy and standard conditions. Check the closing time your licence allows, then set your Chefzi ordering hours to match.

What Chefzi does for an Aberdeen takeaway

If the tablet drops offline, Chefzi sends a text and then calls. Cafés can add QR table ordering.

Price: £39 a month billed annually (£49 if billed monthly), with your own domain and your own branded app (Android & iOS) included, first month free. All per location, excluding VAT, 0% commission ever, no setup fee. Free menu migration. Current offer: One plan at £39 a month per location, ex VAT: ordering website, your own branded app (Android & iOS), EPOS till, kitchen screen, SMS and email marketing (GDPR compliant) and loyalty rewards. 0% commission ever, no setup fee, free migration and one month free.

Get started · Book a call

Nearby and related

• Edinburgh · Glasgow · All locations
• Fish and chips · Pizza · Café and bakery
• Commission calculator · Pricing