Level 2 food hygiene courses compared Which one is right for your team?

Last updated 13 October 2026. Prices checked 5 to 13 October 2026

If you've ever typed "food hygiene course" into Google, you'll know the feeling. Dozens of providers, all at different prices, all promising they're the best, and none of them making it easy to see what you get for your money.

The short answer

For most pubs, cafés and restaurants, an online Level 2 course costing about £12 to £24 including VAT, which takes 2 to 3 hours, is typically enough. Pay more for a regulated qualification only if a contract, tender or job specifically asks for one.

Café manager comparing food hygiene courses on a laptop at a café table

Below you'll find five popular Level 2 catering courses side by side, so you can see in a few seconds what's included and what isn't. Then we'll talk you through each one in plain English, so you can choose the course that suits your team.

Before you spend a penny

You don't need a certificate by law. What the law asks is that your staff have the right skills and training for the work they do, and that you can show it. A course is a good way to do that, but it isn't the only way. If you'd like the full picture, have a read of Is a food hygiene certificate legally required? first.

Buying for a supervisor or head chef? See Level 3 food hygiene courses compared.

How long does a Level 2 food hygiene course take?

Most online Level 2 courses take 2 to 3 hours, including the test at the end. Your staff can usually stop and start, so it doesn't have to be done in one sitting; a couple of quiet afternoons is plenty. A course with a live tutor takes longer, about a 5-hour session plus some reading, and you'll need to book a date.

Be a little wary of courses that promise to be done in under an hour. Quicker isn't always worse, but check the course covers the same ground, such as temperature control, cross-contamination, cleaning, personal hygiene and allergens, before you choose it to save time.

Our quick picks

If you're in a hurry, here's where we'd start:

Watching the budget?Food Safety UK is the cheapest here at £12, with unlimited free resits.

Worried someone might fail?High Speed Training gives unlimited free resits.

Contract asks for a regulated qualification?The Highfield Level 2 Award is the only regulated one here.

Want the environmental health body's name on it?CIEH, though some details aren't published.

All five courses side by side

Swipe sideways to see all five courses.

What you get	High Speed Training£24per learner, inc. VATView course	Virtual College£19.20per learner, inc. VATView course	Food Safety UK£12per learner, inc. VAT (£10 + VAT)View course	CIEH Foundation Certificate£35.70per learner, inc. VATView course	Highfield Level 2 Award, via Axtell Food Safety£170per learner, inc. VAT and booking feeRegulated qualification View course
How it's taught	Online, at your own pace	Online, at your own pace	Online, at your own pace	Online, at your own pace	Live tutor on Zoom, then an online exam
How long it takes	2 to 3 hours	2 to 3 hours	About 3 hours	Not published	5-hour session plus a workbook
Study whenever suits	Yes	Yes	YesWorks on phones and tablets	Yes	NoBooked session and exam date
Live tutor to ask questions	No	No	No	No	Yes
The test	30 questions, 80% to pass	30 questions, 75% to pass	30 questions, 80% to pass	Not published	20 questions, 66% to pass, watched remotely
Free resits	Unlimited	3 attemptsMore may be possible on request	Unlimited	Not published	About £108 a resit
Digital certificate	Same day	Download	Emailed instantly	Download	E-certificate
Printed certificate posted to you	Included	£4 extra	Not published	Not published	No
Employer can check it online	YesOn High Speed Training's verify page	Ask provider	YesOn Food Safety UK's verify page	Contact CIEH	Via Checkcert
Regulated qualification	NoProvider's own certificate	NoProvider's own certificate	NoRoSPA and CPD approved certificate	NoCIEH training certificate	YesOfqual-regulated (RQF)
Time to finish once bought	No deadline	Start within 12 monthsUnstarted courses can be cancelled after 12 months; no time limit once started is stated	90 days	12 months	Not published
Team discounts	10% to 40% offFrom 10 courses, plus a free team tracking tool	10% to 40% offFrom 10 courses upwards	Ask providerGroup sign-up for 2 or more learners	From 5 courses	Ask provider
Recommended refresher	Every 3 years	Every 3 years	Every 3 years	Every 3 years	Every 3 years

IncludedNot included or costs extraNot published, worth asking before you buy

Our take on each course

A table shows the differences, but not who each course suits. Here's how we'd think about them if we were buying for our own team.

High Speed Training

The one that takes the worry out of it

If you've got a new starter who gets a bit nervous about tests, this is a good choice. They can resit as many times as they need without it costing you another penny, and a printed certificate turns up in the post the next working day. There's no deadline to finish either, so you can buy it before someone's start date is even confirmed. Read our full High Speed Training review.

Good for

Budgeting, because there are no surprise resit fees
Staff who like something on paper
Buying ahead of a start date
Teams, thanks to a free tool for handing out courses and tracking who has finished

Worth knowing

The badges on the page (City & Guilds Assured and others) don't make it a regulated qualification
It's a test of knowledge, not of how someone works in your kitchen

Virtual College

Great value as your team grows

At £19.20 it's one of the cheaper options, and the team discounts get generous as you grow, up to 40% off once you're buying 100 courses. Just keep an eye on two things: only three free attempts at the test are included, and its terms say courses that haven't been started within 12 months of ordering can be cancelled, so don't buy a big batch of licences too far ahead of your next round of hiring. Read our full Virtual College review.

Good for

Keeping costs down, especially for bigger teams
Anyone happy with a downloadable certificate

Worth knowing

Only three test attempts are guaranteed
A posted certificate costs £4 more
Virtual College says plainly it isn't a regulated qualification

Food Safety UK

The low-cost option that doesn't cut corners on resits

Adverts for Level 2 courses now start from as little as £6 + VAT, so we've added a budget course whose terms are fully published. At £10 + VAT, which is £12 with VAT, Food Safety UK is the cheapest course here, and you still get unlimited free attempts at the test and a certificate emailed the moment someone passes. It's a no-frills course that works on a phone, which suits staff who'd rather do it at home.

Good for

The tightest budgets, with no resit fees
Staff who want to study on their phone
A quick certificate before someone's first shift

Worth knowing

Access lasts 90 days, so don't buy too far ahead
Team discounts and posted certificates aren't published, so ask first
It's a provider's certificate, not a regulated qualification

CIEH Foundation Certificate

The name inspectors will recognise

CIEH is the professional body for environmental health, the very people who carry out food hygiene inspections, so there's a certain reassurance in having their name on a certificate. The catch is that they don't publish some of the basics, like the pass mark, how many resits you get or how long the course takes. We'd give them a quick call before buying, just so nobody gets caught out.

Good for

Businesses that like a well-known name behind the certificate
A full 12 months to finish

Worth knowing

Pass mark, resits and course length aren't published
It's a training certificate, not a regulated qualification

Highfield Level 2 Award (via Axtell Food Safety)

The regulated qualification

This one is different from the other four. It's the only Ofqual-regulated qualification in this comparison, which matters if a contract, tender or job advert specifically asks for one. Your staff get a real tutor on Zoom who they can ask questions, then sit a watched online exam. It costs a lot more, and a resit is around £108, so it's best saved for when you need that official stamp.

One more thing worth knowing: Highfield sets the exam, but lots of approved training centres sell this same qualification, each at their own price and in their own format. The £170 here is for Axtell Food Safety's live Zoom version. If you don't need a live tutor, it's worth shopping around, as some centres offer an online-only version for quite a bit less.

Good for

Contracts or tenders that ask for a regulated qualification
People who learn better with a real person to ask
Anyone who needs a certificate an employer can check online

Worth knowing

The most expensive option by a long way
Resits are costly
You'll need to book a session and an exam date

Don't forget the free options

Sometimes the best course is the one you don't have to pay for. GOV.UK is clear that workplace training, self-study and previous experience can all be part of the training the law asks for, as long as the training fits the job and you keep a record of it. Food Standards Scotland also offers free online allergen training and its CookSafe guide, which are useful wherever you are in the UK.

The Food Standards Agency's free Food Allergy and Intolerance Training is also back online after a rebuild, with a certificate once you pass all six module tests. If you're weighing up free against paid, our guide Is there a free food hygiene certificate? walks you through it.

How we put this together

We'd rather be upfront with you. We haven't taken these courses ourselves. Everything here comes from each provider's own published pages, terms and sample certificates, plus official guidance, checked between 22 September and 5 October 2026. We rechecked every price on the providers' own websites on 5 October 2026. Prices are standard individual prices, not special offers, and where something wasn't published we've said so rather than guessing. Providers do change their prices and terms, so it's always worth a quick look at their website before you buy.

A certificate on its own doesn't make a business compliant. What matters is that your team know what to do and do it. If you're not sure what's right for a particular role, your local council's environmental health team is usually happy to help.

Sources we used