Joy Express food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Birmingham
Joy Express holds a 1: major improvement is necessary. The inspector found significant problems at the shop and the business is legally required to address them.
The rating: 1 - Major improvement necessary
The rating dates from 24 March 2025, 15 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: 120 Great Hampton Row, Birmingham, B19 3JN
How it compares in Birmingham
A 1 is rare: only 387 of 8,171 rated places in Birmingham score this low, about one in 21. By contrast 66% of the borough holds a 5, so this is well below what the council's inspectors normally find.
| 5 out of 5 | 5,380 | 66% | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 1,309 | 16% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 695 | 9% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 318 | 4% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 387 | 5% | ← Joy Express | |
| 0 out of 5 | 82 | 1% |
A further 1,866 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 Good
- How well they manage food safety Major improvement necessary
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 Joy Express the inspector recorded concerns over confidence in management. Because the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, that is what holds the score down.
Food hygiene ratings nearby
The closest food businesses to Joy Express, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arc Oakbridge School School/college/university | 280 yards away | 5 - Very good | 2 February 2026 |
| Afro Restaurant & Lounge Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 374 yards away | 5 - Very good | 4 March 2025 |
| Alayla Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 410 yards away | 5 - Very good | 8 January 2025 |
| A1 Garages Retailers - other | 0.3 miles away | 5 - Very good | 13 November 2020 |
| Alterna Other catering premises | 0.4 miles away | 5 - Very good | 7 December 2024 |
| Acai Life Retailers - other | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 19 June 2024 |
| Actress & Bishop/ The Buffet Factory Pub/bar/nightclub | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 15 December 2020 |
| Aldi Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | 0.5 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 March 2017 |
Questions about Joy Express
What is Joy Express's food hygiene rating?
Joy Express has a food hygiene rating of 1 out of 5 (major improvement necessary), given by Birmingham Council on 24 March 2025.
Is Joy Express safe to eat at?
A 1 means the inspector found problems the business is required to fix. The shop is not shut down, a rating is not a closure order, but standards were found to be below what the law expects at the time of inspection.
When was Joy Express last inspected?
Joy Express was last inspected on 24 March 2025, 15 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Birmingham Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at Joy Express?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "generally satisfactory", the cleanliness and condition of the building "good", and confidence in the management of food safety "major improvement necessary". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does Joy Express compare to other places in Birmingham?
66% of the 8,171 rated food businesses in Birmingham hold the top rating of 5, while Joy Express holds a 1. 387 places in the area share that rating.
Who decides the rating?
Birmingham Council inspects Joy Express 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 Joy Express 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 →
Is this your business?
A rating of 1 is public, and most customers look. Only 18% of people say they would order from a business rated 2 or below, against 94% from one rated 4. Delivery platforms may decline to list you.
We cannot change this rating, and nor can you. It was set by an environmental health officer at Birmingham, and it stands until they inspect again. What you can do:
- Fix what the inspector found, then ask the council for a re-inspection. Most charge between £120 and £316, and will not re-visit within three months of the original inspection.
- If you believe the rating is simply wrong, you have 21 days from being notified to appeal to the council. That is 21 calendar days, not working days.
- You may submit a right to reply at any time. It is published alongside the rating, here, and on the FSA's own site.
What a low rating means → · How re-inspections and appeals work →
Your council: Birmingham
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
Birmingham inspects and rates 10,037 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Birmingham →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/environmental-health
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 →