Level 3 food hygiene courses compared Which one suits your supervisor or head chef?

Last updated 6 October 2026. Prices checked 6 October 2026

Level 3 courses range from about £107 to £250 a person, and the price gap isn't always obvious from the sales pages. Here's what each one gives you.

The short answer

For most pubs, cafés and restaurants, an online Level 3 course costing about £107 to £168 including VAT, taking 8 to 10 hours, is typically suitable for whoever supervises food safety. Pay more for a regulated qualification only if a contract, tender or job specifically asks for one.

Head chef in a charcoal apron working through a course on a tablet at the pass of a restaurant kitchen

Who needs Level 3?

The law doesn't name a level. It asks that staff are trained to fit their job, and that whoever runs your food safety plan understands how it works. Level 3 is commonly recommended for supervisors, head chefs and owners who oversee food safety. If you're not sure it's needed, read When is Level 3 worth it? first.

Our quick picks

Watching the budget?Virtual College is the cheapest here at £106.80, with six free test attempts.

Worried about the test?High Speed Training gives unlimited free resits and no deadline.

Contract asks for a regulated qualification?The Highfield Level 3 Award is the only regulated one here.

Buying for several supervisors?CIEH drops to £125 + VAT each from 5 courses.

All four courses side by side

Swipe sideways to see all four courses.

What you get	Virtual College£106.80per learner, inc. VAT (£89 + VAT)View course	High Speed Training£156per learner, inc. VAT (£130 + VAT)View course	CIEH Level 3 Food Safety in Catering£168per learner, inc. VAT (£140 + VAT)View course	Highfield Level 3 Award, council course example£250per learner (Shared Regulatory Services, South Wales)Regulated qualification View course
How it's taught	Online, at your own pace	Online, at your own pace	Online, at your own pace	Classroom with a tutor
How long it takes	8 to 9 hours	8 to 10 hours	Not published	3 days
Study whenever suits	Yes	Yes	Yes	NoSet course dates
The test	60 questions, 75% to pass	45 questions, 80% to pass	Not published	45 questions, 30 correct to pass (about 67%)
Free resits	6 attemptsMore through the support team	Unlimited	Not published	Not published
Printed certificate posted to you	Included	Included	Not published	Not published
Regulated qualification	NoProvider's own certificate	NoProvider's own certificate	NoCIEH training certificate	YesRQF
Time to finish once bought	Not publishedUnstarted courses can be cancelled after 12 months	No deadline	12 months	Fixed course dates
Team discounts	10% to 40% offFrom 10 courses	10% to 40% offFrom 10 courses	From 5 courses£125 + VAT each for 5 to 20, £110 + VAT for 21 to 50	Group courses for 5 or more at your workplace
Recommended refresher	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

Virtual College

The best value

At £106.80 it's the cheapest Level 3 here, and a printed certificate is included. Six free attempts at the test should be plenty, and the support team can add more. Just don't buy it too far ahead: its terms say courses not started within 12 months of ordering can be cancelled.

Good for

Keeping costs down
Bigger teams, with up to 40% off from 100 courses

Worth knowing

Virtual College says plainly it isn't a regulated qualification
The 60-question test is the longest here

High Speed Training

No pressure on the test

About £49 more than Virtual College, but with unlimited free resits and no deadline to finish. That suits a busy head chef who'll fit it in around service over a few weeks. A PDF certificate comes straight away and a printed one is posted the next working day.

Good for

Anyone nervous about tests
Studying slowly, with no time limit

Worth knowing

The 80% pass mark is the highest here
Its badges, such as City & Guilds Assured, don't make it a regulated qualification

CIEH Level 3 Food Safety in Catering

The professional body's own course

CIEH is the professional body for environmental health officers, so its name carries weight. It's the dearest online option for one person, but the price drops to £125 + VAT each from five courses. CIEH doesn't publish the course length, pass mark or resits, so ask before you buy.

Good for

Several supervisors at once
A well-known name on the certificate

Worth knowing

Key course details aren't published
Access lasts 12 months from purchase

Highfield Level 3 Award in Food Safety for Catering

The regulated qualification

This is the one to choose if a contract, tender or job advert asks for a regulated Level 3 qualification. It's three days with a tutor, followed by a 45-question exam. Highfield sets the exam, but approved training centres sell it at their own prices and in their own formats, including some live online courses on Zoom. The £250 shown is a council-run classroom course in South Wales, so check prices with centres near you.

Good for

Contracts that ask for a regulated qualification
People who learn best with a tutor to ask

Worth knowing

The dearest option, and three days away from work
Resit costs vary by centre

How we put this together

We haven't taken these courses ourselves. Everything here comes from each provider's own published pages and terms, checked on 6 October 2026. Prices are standard individual prices, not special offers. Where something isn't published, we've said so. Providers change prices and terms, so check before you buy.

Sources we used