High Speed Training Level 2 food hygiene review What you get for £24, and who it suits
Last updated 13 October 2026. Course details and price checked on High Speed Training's own pages on 13 October 2026
High Speed Training's Level 2 Food Hygiene and Safety for Catering is an online course aimed at staff in pubs, cafés, restaurants and other catering businesses. Here is what you get, what the badges on the page do and don't mean, and who it suits.
At £24 including VAT, it is a mid-priced online Level 2 course. What sets it apart is unlimited free resits, a printed certificate posted the next working day, no deadline to finish, and a free tool for managing a team's training. It is not a regulated qualification, so if a contract or tender asks for one, look elsewhere. We haven't taken the course ourselves. This review is based on High Speed Training's published details.
What's in the course
The course is for staff who handle, prepare or serve food, such as cooks, bar and front of house staff, catering assistants and baristas. High Speed Training points managers and supervisors to its Level 3 course instead. Nobody needs to have done Level 1 first.
It has four modules:
- Before handling food
- Receiving and storing food
- Preparing, cooking and serving food
- Cleaning and inspections
High Speed Training says it takes 2 to 3 hours. It runs in a web browser on a computer, phone or tablet, with nothing to install, and has a full audio voiceover, which helps staff who find long reading hard. Progress is saved, so it can be done in short sittings, and there is no deadline to finish.
The test and resits
At the end is an online test of 30 multiple choice questions, with a pass mark of 80%. It is marked straight away. If someone doesn't pass, they can retake it as many times as they need at no extra cost.
That matters more than it sounds. Some courses limit free attempts, and a resit on the regulated course we compare costs about £108. With this course, the price you pay is the price you pay.
The certificate, and what it is and isn't
Learners get a digital certificate the same day, and High Speed Training posts a printed one the next working day. The certificate has no expiry date. High Speed Training recommends a refresher every three years, which it says is based on industry best practice guidelines. Anyone with the learner's name and certificate number can check it on High Speed Training's website.
The course page lists several badges: City & Guilds Assured, CPD accredited, RoSPA Qualifications assured, and endorsed by the Institute of Hospitality. These show that outside bodies have looked at the course. They don't make it a regulated qualification, which is a different thing, set by Ofqual.
The page also says the course "Meets UK and EU legal requirements for food handlers" and is "Accepted by Local Authorities". The law doesn't ask for a particular course or certificate. It asks that staff are trained for the work they do, and that you can show it. So a course like this can be part of the training the law asks for, alongside showing people how things are done in your own kitchen. We couldn't find an official list of approved courses to check the "EHO approved" claim against. Our guide to whether a certificate is legally required has the detail.
Buying for a team
Team discounts apply to mixed orders of any of High Speed Training's courses:
- 10 or more courses: 10% off
- 50 or more: 20% off
- 100 or more: 30% off
- 500 or more: 40% off
Team buyers get a free management tool for handing out courses and seeing who has finished, and orders of five or more courses can be paid by invoice on 30 day terms. Each course is for one named learner, so it can't be passed on if someone leaves before starting. Our guide to buying training for a team covers what to check before you order.
Cancelling and refunds
The course page shows a "Money back guarantee" banner, but we couldn't find separate guarantee terms. High Speed Training's terms of supply give consumers the standard 14 day right to cancel, which may be limited once the course has been accessed and is lost once it has been completed. If you're unsure, ask them before you buy.
Who it suits, and who should look elsewhere
A good fit if:
- you have a new starter who is nervous about tests, because resits are free and unlimited
- staff like a certificate on paper for the wall or their own records
- you want to buy ahead of a start date, as there is no deadline to finish
- you are training a team and want to track who has finished without a spreadsheet
Look elsewhere if:
- a contract, tender or job advert asks for a regulated qualification
- price is the main thing, as there are cheaper online courses with free resits
- someone learns best by asking a tutor questions as they go
How it compares
Here it is next to the other four Level 2 courses we compare. Other providers' prices were checked on 5 and 6 October 2026, and the full side by side table is on our Level 2 comparison.
Swipe sideways to see the whole table.
| Course | Price per learner, inc. VAT | Test | Free resits | Printed certificate | Regulated qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Speed Training | £24 | 30 questions, 80% to pass | Unlimited | Included | No |
| Food Safety UK | £12 | 30 questions, 80% to pass | Unlimited | Not published | No |
| Virtual College | £19.20 | 30 questions, 75% to pass | 3 attempts | £4 extra | No |
| CIEH Foundation Certificate | £35.70 | Not published | Not published | Not published | No |
| Highfield Level 2 Award, via Axtell Food Safety | £170 | 20 questions, 66% to pass | No, about £108 a resit | No | Yes |
Questions people often ask
Is High Speed Training's Level 2 certificate recognised?
It carries several industry badges, but it is the provider's own certificate, not a regulated qualification. For most pubs, cafés and restaurants that is fine, because the law asks for suitable training, not a specific certificate.
How long does the certificate last?
It has no expiry date. High Speed Training recommends refreshing every three years. Our refresher guide explains when sooner makes sense.
Can I move a course to another member of staff?
No. High Speed Training's terms say each course is for one learner and the licence can't be transferred, so only buy for people who are definitely starting.
Is it the same course as Level 2 Food Hygiene for retail or manufacturing?
No. This one is for catering. If you're not sure which setting you're in, our guide to catering or retail courses helps.
How we checked this
We haven't taken this course. Everything here comes from High Speed Training's own course page and terms of supply, checked on 13 October 2026, and the official guidance listed below. Prices and details can change, so check the course page before you buy.
Sources we used
- High Speed Training, Level 2 Food Hygiene and Safety for Catering. Price, modules, length, test, resits, certificate, badges, team discounts. Checked 13 October 2026.
- High Speed Training, terms of supply. Cancellation, refunds, certificate checking, one learner per course. Checked 13 October 2026.
- GOV.UK, Running a food business: staff training, illness and hygiene. No certificate required; staff must have the right skills and training for their role.
- Our Level 2 comparison, for other providers' prices and details, checked 5 and 6 October 2026.