The Dessert Shack food hygiene rating
Takeaway/sandwich shop · St Helens
The Dessert Shack holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the takeaway are good. It is a solid result, the inspector found nothing serious, though a 5 was just out of reach.
The rating: 4 - Good
The rating dates from 13 March 2025, 16 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: 1a Kitchener Street, St Helens, WA10 4LY
How it compares in St Helens
In St Helens, 72% of rated places manage a 5, so The Dessert Shack sits behind roughly 911 nearby businesses. 16% of the borough shares its 4.
| 5 out of 5 | 911 | 72% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 200 | 16% | ← The Dessert Shack | |
| 3 out of 5 | 105 | 8% | ||
| 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 Good
- 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 Dessert Shack 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 Dessert Shack, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bella Pizza Takeaway/sandwich shop | 189 yards away | 5 - Very good | 22 May 2026 |
| Asda Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 February 2024 |
| Blossom Tree Pre School Limited Caring Premises | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 November 2024 |
| Aldi Stores Ltd Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 24 December 2024 |
| Bread and Wine Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 May 2024 |
| Beyond the Nest Limited Caring Premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 12 January 2026 |
| Buzzbys American Dive Bar Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 29 August 2025 |
| Bar 44 Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 24 January 2025 |
Questions about The Dessert Shack
What is The Dessert Shack's food hygiene rating?
The Dessert Shack has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by St Helens Council on 13 March 2025.
Is The Dessert Shack safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 4 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this takeaway to be good, the top end of the scale.
When was The Dessert Shack last inspected?
The Dessert Shack was last inspected on 13 March 2025, 16 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 The Dessert Shack?
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 "generally satisfactory". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does The Dessert Shack 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 The Dessert Shack holds a 4. 200 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
St Helens Council inspects The Dessert Shack 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 Dessert Shack and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
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Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
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 →