5

Smokey Joes food hygiene rating

Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen · Cheltenham

Smokey Joes 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 13 February 2026, 5 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: 15 - 16 Bennington Street, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL50 4ED

How it compares in Cheltenham

That puts Smokey Joes among the 909 places in Cheltenham holding top marks, 89% 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.

Every rated food business in Cheltenham
5 out of 5 909 89% ← Smokey Joes
4 out of 5 88 9%
3 out of 5 16 2%
2 out of 5 2 <1%
1 out of 5 4 <1%
0 out of 5 0 0%

A further 59 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 Smokey Joes 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 Smokey Joes, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.

Business Distance Rating Inspected
Albion House Social Club Pub/bar/nightclub 79 yards away 5 - Very good 29 January 2025
Caffè Nero Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 94 yards away 5 - Very good 23 September 2024
Admiral Slots Retailers - other 106 yards away 5 - Very good 2 December 2024
Black Gold Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 113 yards away 5 - Very good 26 August 2025
Burger King Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 127 yards away 5 - Very good 27 November 2025
Boots UK Ltd Retailers - other 140 yards away 5 - Very good 16 August 2023
Brewhouse And Kitchen Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen 153 yards away 5 - Very good 5 June 2025
Bank House Pub/bar/nightclub 153 yards away 5 - Very good 19 May 2025

Questions about Smokey Joes

What is Smokey Joes's food hygiene rating?

Smokey Joes has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Cheltenham Council on 13 February 2026.

Is Smokey Joes 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 Smokey Joes last inspected?

Smokey Joes was last inspected on 13 February 2026, 5 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Cheltenham Council rather than by the business.

What did the inspector find at Smokey Joes?

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

How does Smokey Joes compare to other places in Cheltenham?

89% of the 1,019 rated food businesses in Cheltenham hold the top rating of 5, and Smokey Joes is one of them.

Who decides the rating?

Cheltenham Council inspects Smokey Joes 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 Smokey Joes and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.

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Understanding this rating

More food hygiene ratings near here

Cheltenham inspects and rates 1,078 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Cheltenham

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