The Elephant food hygiene rating
Pub/bar/nightclub · St Helens
The Elephant 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 21 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: The Elephant Hotel, 30 Elephant Lane, Thatto Heath, WA9 5QW
How it compares in St Helens
In St Helens, 72% of rated places manage a 5, so The Elephant 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 Elephant | |
| 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 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 Elephant 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 Elephant, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bamboo Garden Takeaway/sandwich shop | 132 yards away | 5 - Very good | 21 March 2026 |
| Bikers Bistro Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 249 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 April 2026 |
| Bargain Beers Plus Retailers - other | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 December 2023 |
| British Lion Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 6 June 2025 |
| Boars Head Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 2 March 2026 |
| Co-Op Retailers - other | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 23 June 2023 |
| Daydreams Day Nursery Caring Premises | 0.7 miles away | 5 - Very good | 14 April 2026 |
| Black Horse Inn Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 29 April 2026 |
Questions about The Elephant
What is The Elephant's food hygiene rating?
The Elephant has a food hygiene rating of 3 out of 5 (generally satisfactory), given by St Helens Council on 21 April 2026.
Is The Elephant 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 Elephant last inspected?
The Elephant was last inspected on 21 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 Elephant?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "good", 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 Elephant 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 Elephant holds a 3. 105 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
St Helens Council inspects The Elephant 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 Elephant 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
The Elephant is one of 48 rated food businesses in Thatto Heath. See every hygiene rating in Thatto Heath →
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 →