4

Big Jo food hygiene rating

Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Islington

Big Jo holds a 4, meaning hygiene standards at the restaurant 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 17 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: Big Jo, 324 Hornsey Road, London, N7 7HE

How it compares in Islington

In Islington, 64% of rated places manage a 5, so Big Jo sits behind roughly 1,536 nearby businesses. 20% of the borough shares its 4.

Every rated food business in Islington
5 out of 5 1,536 64%
4 out of 5 470 20% ← Big Jo
3 out of 5 265 11%
2 out of 5 88 4%
1 out of 5 48 2%
0 out of 5 1 <1%

A further 179 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.

What the inspector found

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 Big Jo 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 Big Jo, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Aetos Greek Taverna Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 25 April 2025
Admas Cafe Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 0.3 miles away 5 - Very good 25 April 2025
Admiral Casino Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 0.4 miles away 5 - Very good 9 August 2023
Alby's Pizza Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 0.4 miles away 5 - Very good 26 September 2024
Afrikana Holloway Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 0.5 miles away 5 - Very good 12 March 2025
Admiral Casino Retailers - other 0.5 miles away 5 - Very good 25 October 2019
68 Degrees Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 0.6 miles away 5 - Very good 29 April 2025
After School Club@St John's C of E School/college/university 0.7 miles away 5 - Very good 13 March 2025

Questions about Big Jo

What is Big Jo's food hygiene rating?

Big Jo has a food hygiene rating of 4 out of 5 (good), given by Islington Council on 17 September 2024.

Is Big Jo 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 restaurant to be good, the top end of the scale.

When was Big Jo last inspected?

Big Jo was last inspected on 17 September 2024, 21 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Islington Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at Big Jo?

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 "good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.

How does Big Jo compare to other places in Islington?

64% of the 2,408 rated food businesses in Islington hold the top rating of 5, while Big Jo holds a 4. 470 places in the area share that rating.

Who decides the rating?

Islington Council inspects Big Jo 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 Big Jo and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

Islington inspects and rates 2,587 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Islington

The official record is held by the council: http://www.islington.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 →