Leicester · East Midlands
Online ordering for Leicester takeaways and restaurants
Leicester packs 598 takeaways into five postcode districts.
Food Standards Agency figures for Leicester City
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 58% of takeaway names were not classified.
| Measure | Leicester City |
|---|---|
| Takeaway / sandwich shops | 598 |
| Restaurants, cafés and canteens | 761 |
| All registered food businesses | 3,483 |
| Takeaways rated 5 | 71.7% of rated businesses |
| Takeaways rated 4 or 5 | 83.6% of rated businesses |
| Takeaways rated 0, 1 or 2 | 4.5% of rated businesses |
| Mean rating of rated takeaways | 4.49 |
| Takeaways awaiting inspection | 60 |
| Takeaways inspected in the last 12 months | 219 |
| Postcode districts with a takeaway | 5 |
| Median miles from the takeaway centre of this register | 1.1 |
| Takeaways within 3 miles of that centre | 98.3% |
| England benchmark | 61.9% rated 5 · 51,838 takeaways |
| East Midlands benchmark | 69% rated 5 · 4,607 takeaways |
| FHRS rating | Takeaways |
|---|---|
| 5 | 386 |
| 4 | 64 |
| 3 | 64 |
| 2 | 15 |
| 1 | 7 |
| 0 | 2 |
| Awaiting inspection | 60 |
| Postcode district | Takeaways | Share |
|---|---|---|
| LE2 | 162 | 27.1% |
| LE4 | 119 | 19.9% |
| LE5 | 112 | 18.7% |
| LE1 | 95 | 15.9% |
| LE3 | 83 | 13.9% |
Cuisine estimate from business names
| Name keyword | Takeaways |
|---|---|
| Unclassified | 347 |
| Pizza | 68 |
| Fish and chips | 44 |
| Chinese | 27 |
| Indian or Bangladeshi | 26 |
| Café or bakery | 24 |
| Chicken | 23 |
| Kebab | 21 |
| Burger | 9 |
| Thai or other Asian | 7 |
| Caribbean or African | 2 |
Among East Midlands authorities with 50+ takeaways, ranked by takeaway pct_rated_5. Rank 13 of 33.
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 Leicester City.
# Online ordering for Leicester takeaways and restaurants
Short answer: Leicester is one of the most tightly packed takeaway markets in the UK. All 598 FSA-registered takeaways in the city council area sit in just five postcode districts (LE1 to LE5), and 98% are within 3 miles of each other. Your customers can choose between dozens of shops within one delivery run. What wins is being the one they order from directly. Chefzi gives you that link 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 makes Leicester different
Takeaways almost match restaurants. There are 1.27 restaurant or café premises for every takeaway, against roughly 3 to 4 in Bristol, Edinburgh or Brighton. Leicester is a city that orders in, so it's exactly where commission on repeat orders adds up fastest.
High hygiene, few in the middle. 71.7% of rated takeaways have a 5, well above England's 61.9%. Only 11.9% are on 4 and 11.9% on 3. Most Leicester shops are either top-rated or noticeably behind, so a 5 is the norm here rather than a bonus. If you're below it, customers will notice.
The names undercount the curry trade. Going by names, pizza (68) comes first, then fish and chips (44), Chinese (27), Indian (26), cafés (24), chicken (23) and kebab (21). But Leicester's South Asian food scene, from the Golden Mile on Belgrave Road (LE4) to Narborough Road and Evington, is much bigger than 26 names suggest. Many businesses trade under family or place names our keyword filter can't classify, and plenty are registered as restaurants rather than takeaways. 58% of names went unclassified.
The five districts
- LE2 (162 takeaways, 27%). This is the large southern and eastern district, taking in Highfields, Clarendon Park, Aylestone and Knighton, and it's the biggest single cluster. Roads on that side of the city can be slow. Set the zone from the streets you drive.
- LE4 (119). Belgrave, Rushey Mead and Beaumont Leys, including Belgrave Road. Some weeks that road is crowded. If you trade there, set collection hours for the weeks you know are busy. This page does not publish an official date.
- LE5 (112). Evington, Hamilton and Humberstone. Mostly residential and family ordering, which suits a loyal direct customer base.
- LE1 (95). The city centre and both university campuses. Late-night student orders and lunch collections dominate.
- LE3 (83). Narborough Road and the western estates. Narborough Road is known for its mix of independent shops and food outlets.
Delivery zones for a compact city
Half of Leicester's takeaways are within 1.1 miles of the centre point, and 98% within 3. A wide radius doesn't add many new customers. It mostly adds competitors and longer journey times. In practice:
- Keep your core zone small (about 1.5 miles, or your own district plus one) with a low or free delivery fee, so you're the fastest option for your neighbours.
- Price the ring road. Journeys across the A594 central ring and out to the A563 outer ring take longer at peak times. Charge more for the far side of the city.
- Mind the council boundary. Oadby and Wigston, Blaby and Charnwood are separate council areas with their own postcodes inside LE2, LE3, LE4 and LE18. If you deliver there, include them by district.
Chefzi's delivery zones let you set each district's fee and minimum order.
Late-night refreshment licensing
In England, selling hot food or hot drink between 11pm and 5am needs a premises licence covering late night refreshment (Licensing Act 2003). In Leicester that comes from Leicester City Council, and it applies to takeaway and delivery from your premises. Set your online ordering cut-off to match your licence.
How Chefzi helps
Leicester customers often know three or four places by name within a mile. Give them a direct way to order: a branded menu, card payments, delivery by district, a kitchen app that rings until answered, and 0% commission. It's free for 3 months, then £19 a month for cash or no-card payments, or £29 a month with online card payments through Stripe. Our Indian restaurant setup handles set meals, spice levels and sides. Coming from GloriaFood before 30 April 2027? We'll move your menu.
Nearby and related
Sources
- Food Standards Agency, food hygiene rating open data API, Leicester City (authority "Leicester City"), extract 19 Oct 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. Benchmarks computed from the same extract. Cuisine split estimated from names.
- Licensing Act 2003, Schedule 2: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/17/schedule/2
- Leicester City Council licensing: https://www.leicester.gov.uk/business/licences-and-permits/
Leicester
Questions from Leicester kitchens.
How big should my delivery area be in Leicester?
Smaller than you might think. 1.5 to 2 miles covers most of the city's demand around you, and a smaller area means faster, hotter food.
Is it worth delivering to Oadby or Wigston?
If you're close and the orders are big enough, yes. Add those districts as a separate zone with its own fee.
Can I change hours for a busy day?
Yes. Set a holiday date closed, or one opening window for that date. You can also turn delivery off and leave collection on. There is no switch that pauses a single zone.
Do I need a licence to sell after 11pm?
If you're selling hot food or drink, yes: a premises licence covering late night refreshment.
Other city pages
Bring Leicester 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.