Hotbox food hygiene rating
Takeaway/sandwich shop · St Helens
Hotbox holds a 3: generally satisfactory. The takeaway 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 11 September 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: 2 Longton Lane, Rainhill, L35 4LQ
How it compares in St Helens
In St Helens, 72% of rated places manage a 5, so Hotbox 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% | ← Hotbox | |
| 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 Hotbox 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 Hotbox, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Mango Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 313 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 April 2026 |
| Commercial Hotel Pub/bar/nightclub | 344 yards away | 5 - Very good | 6 January 2025 |
| Beautiful New Beginnings Caring Premises | 350 yards away | 5 - Very good | 1 February 2024 |
| Coach & Horses Hotel Pub/bar/nightclub | 364 yards away | 5 - Very good | 25 April 2025 |
| Chung Ku Takeaway/sandwich shop | 384 yards away | 5 - Very good | 18 April 2024 |
| Cedric House Caring Premises | 392 yards away | 5 - Very good | 12 November 2025 |
| Cookhouse Pub and Carvery Pub/bar/nightclub | 422 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 March 2026 |
| Bargain Booze Retailers - other | 430 yards away | 5 - Very good | 14 July 2025 |
Questions about Hotbox
What is Hotbox's food hygiene rating?
Hotbox has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by St Helens Council on 11 September 2025.
Is Hotbox safe to eat at?
A 3 means the takeaway 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 Hotbox last inspected?
Hotbox was last inspected on 11 September 2025, 10 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 Hotbox?
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 Hotbox 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 Hotbox holds a 3. 105 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
St Helens Council inspects Hotbox 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 Hotbox and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Hotbox is one of 58 rated food businesses in Rainhill. See every hygiene rating in Rainhill →
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 →