Balancing Eel food hygiene rating
Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Cornwall
Balancing Eel holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the restaurant met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
The rating dates from 30 September 2024, 21 months ago. That is getting on for the longest gap councils usually leave, so the score may not reflect how the business is run today.
Address: The Balancing Eel, 10 Back Lane, St Ives, TR26 1LR
How it compares in Cornwall
That puts Balancing Eel among the 4,461 places in Cornwall holding top marks, 85% of everywhere the council rates. A 5 is the norm here rather than the exception, so it is the rating to expect, not to be impressed by.
| 5 out of 5 | 4,461 | 85% | ← Balancing Eel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 522 | 10% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 212 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 42 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 38 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 2 | <1% |
A further 51 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Good
- How well they manage food safety Good
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 Balancing Eel 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 Balancing Eel, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mor Beach Cafe Takeaway/sandwich shop | 10 yards away | 5 - Very good | 11 March 2026 |
| Balcony Bar & Kitchen Pub/bar/nightclub | 11 yards away | 5 - Very good | 6 March 2025 |
| Kellys Harbourside St Ives Retailers - other | 11 yards away | 5 - Very good | 31 March 2026 |
| Ice Cream Workshop Retailers - other | 45 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 April 2026 |
| Mount Zion Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 65 yards away | 5 - Very good | 24 June 2025 |
| Flapjackery Retailers - other | 73 yards away | 5 - Very good | 10 October 2025 |
| Johns Wine Store Retailers - other | 73 yards away | 5 - Very good | 7 October 2025 |
| Mermaid Seafood Restaurant Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 77 yards away | 5 - Very good | 16 June 2026 |
Questions about Balancing Eel
What is Balancing Eel's food hygiene rating?
Balancing Eel has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Cornwall Council on 30 September 2024.
Is Balancing Eel safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 5 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this restaurant to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was Balancing Eel last inspected?
Balancing Eel was last inspected on 30 September 2024, 21 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Cornwall Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Balancing Eel?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Balancing Eel compare to other places in Cornwall?
85% of the 5,277 rated food businesses in Cornwall hold the top rating of 5, and Balancing Eel is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Cornwall Council inspects Balancing Eel 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 Balancing Eel and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
Free, for three businesses, forever. No password, we send you a link. How rating alerts work →
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Balancing Eel is one of 162 rated food businesses in St Ives. See every hygiene rating in St Ives →
Cornwall inspects and rates 5,328 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Cornwall →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.cornwall.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 →