Brighton and Hove · East Sussex
Online ordering for Brighton and Hove restaurants, cafés and takeaways
Brighton and Hove has 1,012 restaurants and cafés and 255 takeaways, and 77.9% of rated takeaways are a 5.
Food Standards Agency figures for Brighton and Hove
These counts are from the Food Standards Agency open data, pulled on 19 October 2026. “Takeaway” means the FSA business type “Takeaway/sandwich shop”. Cuisine rows are a name-keyword estimate, not a census, and 50% of takeaway names were not classified.
| Measure | Brighton and Hove |
|---|---|
| Takeaway / sandwich shops | 255 |
| Restaurants, cafés and canteens | 1,012 |
| All registered food businesses | 3,010 |
| Takeaways rated 5 | 77.9% of rated businesses |
| Takeaways rated 4 or 5 | 91.2% of rated businesses |
| Takeaways rated 0, 1 or 2 | 1.7% of rated businesses |
| Mean rating of rated takeaways | 4.66 |
| Takeaways awaiting inspection | 14 |
| Takeaways inspected in the last 12 months | 61 |
| Postcode districts with a takeaway | 4 |
| Median miles from the takeaway centre of this register | 1.1 |
| Takeaways within 3 miles of that centre | 92.5% |
| England benchmark | 61.9% rated 5 · 51,838 takeaways |
| South East benchmark | 65.5% rated 5 · 6,243 takeaways |
| FHRS rating | Takeaways |
|---|---|
| 5 | 187 |
| 4 | 32 |
| 3 | 17 |
| 2 | 1 |
| 1 | 3 |
| Awaiting inspection | 13 |
| Awaiting publication | 1 |
| Exempt | 1 |
| Postcode district | Takeaways | Share |
|---|---|---|
| BN1 | 98 | 38.4% |
| BN3 | 68 | 26.7% |
| BN2 | 65 | 25.5% |
| BN41 | 12 | 4.7% |
Cuisine estimate from business names
| Name keyword | Takeaways |
|---|---|
| Unclassified | 128 |
| Pizza | 36 |
| Fish and chips | 24 |
| Indian or Bangladeshi | 16 |
| Kebab | 15 |
| Chinese | 14 |
| Burger | 8 |
| Café or bakery | 6 |
| Thai or other Asian | 4 |
| Chicken | 4 |
Among South East authorities with 50+ takeaways, ranked by takeaway pct_rated_5. Rank 13 of 59.
Source: Food Standards Agency, contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Extract date 19 October 2026. The council food team page is Brighton and Hove.
# Online ordering for Brighton & Hove restaurants, cafés and takeaways
Short answer: Brighton & Hove is the most restaurant-led city in this series. It has 1,012 restaurants and cafés but only 255 takeaways, about four to one. Its takeaways also have some of the best hygiene results we've seen: 77.9% are rated 5. Here online ordering is less about running a takeaway and more about adding collection and local delivery to an eat-in business, in a narrow city squeezed between the sea and the Downs. Chefzi does that with 0% commission: 3 months free, then £19 a month for cash or no-card payments, or £29 a month with online card payments through Stripe.
What sets Brighton & Hove apart
Eat-in first, ordering second. With 3.97 restaurant or café premises per takeaway, Brighton & Hove is far more restaurant-led than Leicester (1.27) or Coventry (1.19). For many owners the biggest wins are click-and-collect and pre-orders (coffee on the commute, lunch boxes, Sunday-roast takeaway), plus QR table ordering on busy terraces in summer. Delivery is a bonus, not the main business.
Hygiene is very good across the board. 77.9% of takeaways are rated 5 and only 1.7% are on 0 to 2. Brighton & Hove ranks 13th of 59 South East councils. Only 24% of takeaways were inspected in the past 12 months, the lowest share in this series. That fits the FSA's risk-based approach, where businesses with consistently good results are visited less often, so many ratings here are older. If you've made improvements since your last visit, it may be worth asking about a re-rating.
Cuisine by name. Pizza (36) and fish and chips (24) lead, then Indian (16), kebab (15), Chinese (14) and burgers (8). Half the names don't indicate a cuisine, so treat these as rough figures.
Four districts, one long strip
Only four postcode districts hold all the city's takeaways. BN1 (central Brighton, the Lanes, North Laine, Preston Park and the Sussex campus at Falmer) has 38%. BN3 (Hove) has 27% and BN2 (Kemptown, Whitehawk, Moulsecoomb and the Marina) has 26%. BN41 (Portslade) has the remaining 5%. Half of all takeaways are within 1.1 miles of the centre point.
What makes delivery here tricky isn't distance. It's the shape of the city and its streets:
- East-west along the coast. The city is long and narrow, so a rider going from Kemptown to Hove crosses the whole centre. Draw zones along the seafront in sections (BN2 east, BN1 centre, BN3 west) rather than one circle.
- Steep streets inland. The roads climb sharply from the seafront towards Seven Dials, Hanover and Elm Grove. Cycle couriers lose time on the way up, so keep their zones tight.
- Parking and one-way streets. Large parts of the centre have controlled parking zones and one-way systems. Drivers need time and a drop-off plan, so ask customers for flat numbers and entry instructions.
- Seasonal spikes. Sunny weekends, Pride in August and Albion home matches at the Amex in Falmer bring crowds and closed roads. Use collection-only windows and longer prep times.
Chefzi delivery zones let you price BN1, BN2 and BN3 separately and switch delivery off from the kitchen app when the seafront is packed.
Late-night refreshment licensing
Serving hot food or hot drink between 11pm and 5am needs a premises licence for late night refreshment under the Licensing Act 2003, from Brighton & Hove City Council. Parts of the city centre have long had stricter local licensing policies because of the number of late-night venues, so read the council's current Statement of Licensing Policy before applying for late hours. Set your online ordering to stop at your licensed time.
Why Brighton & Hove independents choose Chefzi
An independent city deserves independent ordering: your own branded menu, collection slots, QR table ordering, card payments on the £29 plan, district-based delivery if you want it, and a kitchen app that rings until it's answered. 0% commission, free for 3 months, then £19 a month for cash or no-card payments, or £29 a month with online card payments through Stripe. Already on GloriaFood? It closes 30 April 2027, and we'll migrate your menu for you.
Nearby and related
Sources
- Food Standards Agency, food hygiene rating open data API, Brighton and Hove (authority "Brighton and Hove"), extract 19 Oct 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. Regional and England benchmarks from the same extract. Cuisine split estimated from names.
- FSA, food hygiene ratings for businesses (re-rating, display): https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/food-hygiene-ratings-for-businesses
- Licensing Act 2003, Schedule 2: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/17/schedule/2
- Brighton & Hove City Council, licensing policy: https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/licensing
Brighton and Hove
Questions from Brighton and Hove kitchens.
I run a café. Should I offer delivery?
Start with collection and pre-orders. They need no drivers and fill quieter hours. Add a small delivery zone later if customers ask for it.
How do I handle summer crowds on the seafront?
Switch to collection-only or shorten your delivery zone on peak days, and set realistic prep times.
Can customers order at the table by QR?
Yes. Table orders go straight to the same kitchen app as online orders.
My last inspection was years ago and I've improved. What can I do?
Ask the council about a re-rating visit. The FSA website explains how, and there may be a fee.
Other city pages
Bring Brighton and Hove orders onto your own site.
3 months free, then £19 a month for cash or no-card payments, or £29 a month with online card payments through Stripe. Standard Stripe card processing fees apply. No setup fee. We move the menu.