Masons Arms food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · St Helens
Masons Arms holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The pub 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 22 January 2026, 5 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: Masons Arms, 99 Carr Mill Road, Billinge, WN5 7TY
How it compares in St Helens
In St Helens, 72% of rated places manage a 5, so Masons Arms sits behind roughly 1,111 nearby businesses. 8% of the borough shares its 3.
| 5 out of 5 | 911 | 72% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 200 | 16% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 105 | 8% | ← Masons Arms | |
| 2 out of 5 | 34 | 3% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 23 | 2% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 1 | <1% |
A further 93 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 Generally satisfactory
- 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 Masons Arms 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 Masons Arms, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billinge Chapel End Primary School School/college/university | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 11 September 2024 |
| Birchley St Mary's Primary School School/college/university | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 10 October 2024 |
| Billinge Chapel End Labour Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 13 June 2024 |
| Birchley St Mary's Catholic Club Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 September 2023 |
| Billinge Newsagents Ltd Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 21 April 2026 |
| Billinge St Aidans C of E Primary School School/college/university | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 October 2025 |
| Aidan's Pantry Other catering premises | 1.0 miles away | 5 - Very good | 27 November 2023 |
Questions about Masons Arms
What is Masons Arms's food hygiene rating?
Masons Arms has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by St Helens Council on 22 January 2026.
Is Masons Arms safe to eat at?
A 3 means the pub 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 Masons Arms last inspected?
Masons Arms was last inspected on 22 January 2026, 5 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by St Helens Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Masons Arms?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "generally satisfactory", and confidence in the management of food safety "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Masons Arms compare to other places in St Helens?
72% of the 1,274 rated food businesses in St Helens hold the top rating of 5, while Masons Arms holds a 3. 105 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
St Helens Council inspects Masons Arms 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 Masons Arms and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Masons Arms is one of 28 rated food businesses in Billinge. See every hygiene rating in Billinge →
St Helens inspects and rates 1,367 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in St Helens →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.sthelens.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 →