Medway · Canopy and hood cleaning
Canopy and hood cleaning in Higham, Medway
Professional canopy cleaning in and around Higham, booked around your opening hours and signed off in writing with photos.
- Smoke hanging around the canopy during service
- A sticky, discoloured canopy
- Overflowing grease troughs and gutters
Canopy cleaning for kitchens and businesses in Higham
We clean canopies in Higham when the kitchen isn’t cooking: after service, overnight or at the weekend. The equipment underneath is switched off, left to cool and sheeted so the kitchen is ready when we go. Typical jobs include overflowing grease troughs and gutters and a filter housing caked in grease, across grease gutters, baffle filters and plenum chambers.
In a small place like Higham, kitchens are often in older or extended buildings, with long single-storey duct runs, and those horizontal sections are where grease settles. We agree access and timings in advance.
We’re CHAS and SafeContractor accredited, we hold ISO 9001 and we’re fully insured. On top of that, we are a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease, and we have been trading since 2009.
- Where
- Higham (ME3, DA12)
- Region
- Medway
- Records
- Certificate plus before-and-after photos
- Price
- A fixed quote up front
- Working hours
- Evenings, overnight and weekends; 24/7 emergencies
- Call
- 0345 646 2711
- Reviewed
- 30 October 2026
Common problems we fix in Higham
Because the plenum sits behind the filters, it’s easy to forget. Kitchen staff clean what they can see, so the plenum often carries months of grease.
It’s time to book a visit if you see:
- Drips from the canopy onto the range
- Overflowing grease troughs and gutters
- A canopy flagged at an environmental health inspection
- Poor capture at the hood
Healthcare kitchens cannot easily close, so their extracts are cleaned overnight or between meal services; the nearest hospital to Higham is French Hospital, about 2.8 miles south-east.
Comparing quotes
- Whether they’re fully insured
- Whether they recommend a next date
- What hours they’ll be on site
- Proof of accreditation you can verify
Part by part
Pub and hotel kitchens
A hotel or pub kitchen can rarely close for long. We clean the canopy overnight or between services so the kitchen keeps trading.
Plenums and filter housings
Behind the grease filters is the plenum. Grease that slips past the filters settles there, so it’s scraped and degreased on every canopy clean.
Common questions in Higham
Which fire and rescue service is responsible for Higham?
Kent Fire and Rescue Service is the fire and rescue service for Higham. TR19® is not law, but it’s the benchmark many fire officers and insurers look to when they ask how often the extract is cleaned.
Can you come to Higham after we close?
Yes, out-of-hours work is a big part of what we do. That way a site in Higham doesn’t have to lose a day’s trading. Your opening times are the first thing we ask for.
How much notice should we give?
For planned work, earlier is better, particularly if your next visit is nearly due. Emergencies are different, because our line is open 24/7.
Are the filters cleaned too?
We take them out, clean them and put them back. We also offer a filter exchange service for between cleans.
What information do you need?
Just the basics: where it is, what kind of site, when it’s open and the access. Photos and the last report help too. Then ring 0345 646 2711, or send details by email.
Do you clean inside the canopy as well as outside?
The whole canopy, inside and out. We also remove the filters and clean the plenum and housing behind them because that’s often the dirtiest part.
Will I get a report after the canopy clean?
Every clean comes with a photo report that lists what was cleaned and anything we couldn’t reach. A full TR19 clean adds a certificate from the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal.
What happens to the waste?
It’s contained and taken away. Grease, debris and waste water are collected as the work goes on rather than letting it spread.
What staff can safely do
In-house cleaning and specialist cleaning do different jobs. A daily filter wipe and a weekly filter wash keep grease down at the front of the system, but they do not reach the grease that builds up further in. That part needs specialist access and equipment.
Logging matters as much as cleaning. A simple log of filter washes, wipe-downs and checks shows an inspector that the system is looked after between visits, next to our reports.
The process
The visit has three parts: getting the area ready, doing the work and signing it off. Set-up means sheeting and making equipment safe, while signing off means the written report and pictures. Most of the time goes on the work itself, which takes a few hours for most canopies. Visits to a village like Higham are booked in advance, at a time that suits whoever runs the site.
- We look at the canopy, filters and troughs first.
- Once the kitchen has closed, the cooking line is cooled and sheeted.
- We lift out the filters and scrape the plenum and housing.
- The canopy shell, seams, troughs and gutters are degreased inside and out.
- We put the filters back, tidy up and photograph the finished canopy.
Before we arrive
- Plan for cooking equipment or plant to be off before we arrive
- Mention any sign-in, permit or induction we need
- Clear the space around the work
How to get a quote
Getting a quote doesn’t take long. Call or email with a few details and you will usually have a fixed price within one working day. If we need to see the system first, we book a survey around your hours.
Related advice
Canopy cleaning in Higham: the local picture
Food Standards Agency data counts about 8 restaurants, cafés and canteens and about 4 takeaways and sandwich shops within roughly a mile and a half of the centre of Higham. Any of those kitchens with a canopy has a hood that needs cleaning inside and out. Higham sits within the area of Kent Fire and Rescue Service. Grease in a kitchen extract is a recognised fire risk, and the fire authority enforces the law on managing it in most commercial premises. Environmental health officers from Gravesham council inspect food businesses in Higham. Extraction counts as kitchen equipment, so its condition can come up on the day. Keeping each certificate and photo report on file helps show the extract is looked after.
Bursars and site managers at schools such as Higham Primary School tend to book extract cleaning for when the kitchen is empty. A hall kitchen that only cooks for events, whether near Church of St John or elsewhere in Higham, still needs its extract cleaned, just less often.
Higham is about 2 miles north-west of Rochester, in Medway. We provide canopy cleaning for businesses, landlords and public buildings in Higham and the rest of Medway. Higham is one of 68 towns, villages and districts in Medway we cover for commercial clients. We also work in Maidstone, around 11 miles away.
Every address in ME3 and DA12 is within our area for canopy cleaning, from the main roads to the quietest streets. If you need canopy cleaning at premises on Villa Road, Darby Gardens and Ash Crescent or a nearby road, our technicians can take on the work. Nearby, we also carry out canopy cleaning in Gadshill (1 mile south), Lower Higham (1 mile north), Shorne (1 mile west), Shorne Ridgeway (1 mile south-west) and Mockbeggar (2 miles east). Further out, we also cover Gillingham (6 miles south-east), Chatham (5 miles south-east), Rainham (8 miles south-east), Luton (5 miles south-east), Park Wood (8 miles south-east) and Lordswood (7 miles south-east).
Landmarks near Higham
In Higham, that means kitchens and buildings near Rede Common, Sir John Falstaff Public House and Strood Academy. The closest station to Higham is Higham station, about 0.9 miles north-east of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Rochester Castle (2.6 miles south-east) and French Hospital (2.8 miles south-east). Not far away are Gad's Hill and Rede Common.
How we price canopy cleaning
You’ll get a fixed price before work begins. It takes into account:
- Site requirements such as sign-in and permits
- A single visit or a regular plan
- How big the system is
- Where the site is and how we reach it
You will not find a price list here, because the cost depends on the site in front of us. Call for a fixed quote, and we will talk you through it.
What we need to know
Photos and a few facts are often enough to price the work. Useful things to send:
- The roof, plant room or outside wall the system runs to
- The site address and the type of premises
- Any symptoms, from odd noises to smells or leaks
- Photos showing the whole system and its surroundings
There’s no standard price list, because no two systems are the same. Instead, we look at your site first, from photos or a survey, and then send you a fixed quote. To get going, call us on 0345 646 2711, or email photos.
Aftercare tips
Think of this as the after-treatment advice, in brief:
- Clean the baffle filters often
- Run the extract the whole time you are cooking
- Give the canopy a wipe after service
- Report new drips or smells from the canopy
A full system clean comes with a TR19 certificate from the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal. If the job covers only the canopy, the paperwork reflects that.
Keep the fan running throughout service and for a short while after. Air that keeps moving carries less grease onto the canopy.
Multi-site and managed buildings
Running several sites is easier with one contractor. We work across London and the South East, so visits at different addresses can be planned together and kept to a regular schedule.
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person must assess and reduce fire risk, which may be the employer, owner, landlord, FM or managing agent. With shared responsibility, good records help everyone.