Takeaways — Kitchen Extract Cleaning in Hertfordshire

Takeaway kitchens cook for long hours, often with fryers, grills and woks running at once, and many trade from shop units with flats above. That makes the extract one of the biggest fire risks in the building. We arrange TR19 extract cleaning quotes for takeaways across Hertfordshire, North London, Luton, Bedford and Harlow. An independent specialist provider carries out the clean and issues the certificate.

You get one clear quote, a date that suits your opening hours, and paperwork you can show your insurer, your landlord and whoever reviews your fire risk assessment.

Which TR19 frequency band takeaways fall into

TR19 Grease sets minimum cleaning intervals by daily cooking hours: every three months for 12 to 16 hours a day, every six months for 6 to 12 hours and every twelve months for 2 to 6 hours. A takeaway open from lunchtime until late usually sits in the heavy, three-monthly band, while one that opens for evenings only may be six-monthly. Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service sets out the same three bands in its guidance for businesses. Deep-frying loads a duct quickly, though, so the provider's grease readings may still point to a shorter interval. See our TR19 compliance guide for the detail.

Insurance, fire safety and the risk to flats above

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 the responsible person must assess and reduce fire risk, and grease in the duct belongs in that assessment. The London Fire Brigade tells takeaway and restaurant owners to clean kitchen ducting regularly, because built-up grease can catch light and carry smoke and fire into other parts of the building and next door. Its fire investigators name a lack of proper cleaning and maintenance as by far the most common cause of ducting fires. BESA notes that insurers can refuse a claim when poor maintenance contributed to a fire.

Your food hygiene rating is a separate matter. The Food Standards Agency runs that scheme in partnership with local councils, and in England you are encouraged, but not legally required, to display your sticker. A TR19 certificate is the evidence for the fire side.

What the provider cleans

A full clean covers the canopy and filters, the ductwork all the way to the discharge point and the extract fan. Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service warns that a duct with no access panels has very likely never been cleaned, so panels are fitted wherever a section cannot otherwise be reached. Grease-depth readings are taken before and after, and you receive a certificate with before-and-after photographs. For the full scope, see TR19 kitchen extract cleaning.

Booking around opening hours

The clean can be booked for the morning before you open or after close on a quiet night. Tell us which day is slowest and whether the fan is reached through a flat, a yard or the roof, and the provider will plan access around it. Shops in Bury Park, Luton, share the neighbourhood with Kenilworth Road, the home of Luton Town, so a date away from home match days may suit.

Owners with more than one shop

If you run several takeaways or a small franchise group, we can arrange one quote covering every unit. Each site gets its own certificate, and dates are set so each shop keeps trading. Where a duct passes through space a landlord controls, London Fire Brigade guidance asks everyone responsible to coordinate so the whole run is cleaned at the same time, not in pieces on different days. The cost guide explains what affects the price, including duct length and access.

Takeaways we arrange quotes for

We arrange quotes across Luton, Stevenage, Hemel Hempstead, Watford, Hatfield and Borehamwood, and through Cheshunt, Waltham Cross and Hoddesdon. In North London we cover Enfield, Edmonton and Wood Green. Further out, we cover Harlow and Bedford.

Where we see these kitchens most

Services: TR19 extract cleaning · canopy cleaning · ductwork · filters · what it costs

Frequently Asked Questions