The Play Den food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · West Lancashire
The Play Den holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The restaurant met the legal standard, but the inspector recorded enough minor issues that it fell short of a good or very good rating.
The rating: 3 - Generally satisfactory
The rating dates from 28 August 2025, 10 months ago. Councils typically re-inspect higher-risk businesses every six months to two years, with well-run, low-risk places visited least often, so this is a normal gap.
Address: 603 Merlin Park, Ringtail Road, Burscough Industrial Estate, L40 8JY
How it compares in West Lancashire
In West Lancashire, 80% of rated places manage a 5, so The Play Den sits behind roughly 763 nearby businesses. 7% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 664 | 80% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 99 | 12% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 55 | 7% | ← The Play Den | |
| 2 out of 5 | 3 | <1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 12 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 99 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Generally satisfactory
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Good
- How well they manage food safety Generally satisfactory
An inspection scores three things: how food is handled, the physical condition of the premises, and how much the inspector trusts management to keep standards up. At The Play Den none of the three raised a concern, the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, so a clean sweep is what produces a high score.
Food hygiene ratings nearby
The closest food businesses to The Play Den, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lagom Bakery Limited Manufacturers/packers | 78 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 April 2026 |
| Mobile - D&L Catering Mobile caterer | 236 yards away | 5 - Very good | 31 January 2025 |
| Fun Arena Limited Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 December 2025 |
| Nutree Life Ltd Manufacturers/packers | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 March 2026 |
| Aldi Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 7 January 2025 |
| Booths Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 February 2025 |
| Caffe Nero Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 February 2025 |
| Burscough Manor Care Home Caring Premises | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 5 June 2025 |
Questions about The Play Den
What is The Play Den's food hygiene rating?
The Play Den has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by West Lancashire Council on 28 August 2025.
Is The Play Den safe to eat at?
A 3 means the restaurant met the legal standard, so it is lawful to eat there, but the inspector recorded issues that stopped it scoring higher. It is the middle of the scale.
When was The Play Den last inspected?
The Play Den was last inspected on 28 August 2025, 10 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by West Lancashire Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at The Play Den?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Play Den compare to other places in West Lancashire?
80% of the 833 rated food businesses in West Lancashire hold the top rating of 5, while The Play Den holds a 3. 55 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
West Lancashire Council inspects The Play Den and sets the rating; the Food Standards Agency publishes it. Neither the business nor this site can change a rating, a business that disagrees can appeal to its council, and can request a re-inspection once it has fixed the problems.
Tell me when this changes
The Food Standards Agency publishes only a business's rating today, not what it scored before, and not when it moves. We check every UK rating each night. Watch The Play Den and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
The Play Den is one of 78 rated food businesses in Burscough. See every hygiene rating in Burscough →
West Lancashire inspects and rates 932 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in West Lancashire →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.westlancs.gov.uk
Rating from the Food Standards Agency under the Open Government Licence. Ratings reflect standards found at the time of inspection and can change. If you think a rating is wrong, the official record is held by the FSA and the local authority; corrections there flow through here. How ratings work →