The Black Bull St Helens food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · St Helens
The Black Bull St Helens 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 29 April 2026, 2 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: Knowsley Road, St Helens, WA10 4PX
How it compares in St Helens
In St Helens, 72% of rated places manage a 5, so The Black Bull St Helens 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% | ← The Black Bull St Helens | |
| 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 The Black Bull St Helens 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 Black Bull St Helens, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blossom Tree Pre School Limited Caring Premises | 339 yards away | 5 - Very good | 15 November 2024 |
| Bella Pizza Takeaway/sandwich shop | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 22 May 2026 |
| bocboc Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.6 miles away | 5 - Very good | 9 January 2025 |
| Asda Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 1 February 2024 |
| Abbeyford Childrens Home Caring Premises | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 27 September 2025 |
| Aldi Stores Ltd Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 24 December 2024 |
| Abbey Hotel Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 16 July 2025 |
| Bread and Wine Retailers - other | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 May 2024 |
Questions about The Black Bull St Helens
What is The Black Bull St Helens's food hygiene rating?
The Black Bull St Helens has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by St Helens Council on 29 April 2026.
Is The Black Bull St Helens 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 The Black Bull St Helens last inspected?
The Black Bull St Helens was last inspected on 29 April 2026, 2 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 Black Bull St Helens?
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 The Black Bull St Helens 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 Black Bull St Helens holds a 3. 105 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
St Helens Council inspects The Black Bull St Helens 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 Black Bull St Helens 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 →