Greater London · Grease filter exchange
London grease filter exchange
We cover London for grease filter exchange. Out-of-hours visits, a fixed quote and a written report with photos on every job.
- Staff short of time to wash filters
- Filters so greasy the air can barely pass
- Filters that come out of the sink still dirty
Grease filter exchange in London, done properly
In London, our filter exchange runs on a schedule set by how much the kitchen cooks. The heavier the cooking, the more often filters need changing while a lighter kitchen can go longer. We agree the interval with you at the start. The work covers mesh filters, island canopies and school and hospital kitchens, and people most often call us about poor airflow through the filters and grease building up behind the canopy filters.
In a place the size of London, the kitchens with extract systems range from takeaways and restaurants to hotel, school and workplace kitchens. BESA’s minimum intervals run from every three months for heavy use to once a year for light use, so the right schedule depends on the kitchen.
The sign-off is always in writing: a written report, dated and illustrated with pictures, and for TR19® Grease cleans, a certificate issued through the BESCA VHE portal. It shows what was done and what, if anything, couldn’t be reached.
- Where
- London (CR0, E14, CR4, SW11)
- Wider area
- Greater London
- Reporting
- Report and photos after the visit
- Quotes
- Fixed quote, usually within a working day
- When we work
- Overnight and weekend work, 24/7 emergency callout
- Call
- 0345 646 2711
- Reviewed
- 30 October 2026
What affects the cost of grease filter exchange
Your quote is based on your site. We consider:
- When the work can happen, such as evenings, overnight or weekends
- The condition of the system
- How big the system is
- Travel, parking and unloading
Leaving it longer rarely makes the work cheaper. Problems in a system tend to grow, and a neglected system can mean more work. If you’re not sure what’s needed, give us a ring on 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line and we’ll give you an honest view and a fixed quote.
What we need to know
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote. With your enquiry, please include:
- Close-ups of filters, grilles, hatches or access panels
- Where the plant sits or the system leaves the building, such as a roof or outside wall
- Your opening hours and when the area is out of use
- Any symptoms, from odd noises to smells or leaks
Quoting starts with a diagnosis, either from pictures and details you send or from a site visit. After that, you get a fixed price for the work so you know the cost before work begins.
What staff can safely do
Some jobs should never be done in-house: opening up ductwork, cleaning fans, drop testing fire dampers and measuring grease need training, the right equipment and safe access. That is our job.
Staff cleaning and specialist work are not the same thing. Wiping filters daily and washing them weekly keeps the visible parts in order, but they do not reach the grease that builds up further in. Reaching it takes a specialist with the right equipment.
Looking after it afterwards
Here’s the after-treatment advice, short and simple:
- Do not refit a filter that’s bent
- Make sure no filter is left out
- Clean the canopy surfaces regularly
- Report a dripping canopy early
The next exchange is already in the diary. If cooking increases, we can change filters more often to keep up.
Filter exchange and TR19 cleaning work best together. A maintenance plan that covers both keeps everything on track.
When it’s something else
In fairness, there are a few things this work won’t fix:
- Grease already built up in the ductwork, which needs a full TR19 clean
- Extraction problems caused by the fan rather than the filters
- A canopy too small for the cooking beneath it
If in doubt, call 0345 646 2711 or send us an email and we will say what we think.
What the work covers
- Wall canopies
- Restaurants and pubs
- School and hospital kitchens
- Baffle filters
- Island canopies
- Mesh filters
For landlords and multi-site operators
Keeping records across a portfolio is half the battle. Each visit ends with a dated report and photos, ready to show insurers, fire officers or EHOs.
We also work for facilities teams across offices, schools and healthcare in London and across Greater London. Larger estates can be phased building by building around the people who use them.
Your questions about grease filter exchange in London
Can parking be tricky for a job in London?
Parking and loading in London need planning, so tell us about bays, permits and building rules when you book. Much of our London work is done overnight, which helps.
Which council inspects kitchens in London?
Food hygiene inspections in London are carried out by Southwark council. An officer may look up into the canopy, so clean filters on the day and a recent certificate on file both help.
Do you work in London?
Yes. We work in London and the rest of Greater London, within our South East and London area. For a fixed quote, phone us on 0345 646 2711 or email us.
Do you handle baffle and mesh filters?
Baffle filters and mesh filters. Tell us what you have when you call 0345 646 2711 or use the quote form and we’ll confirm it on site.
What happens if you can’t reach some of it?
We record them on the report, with a note of where it is, and we tell you what would make it reachable, such as extra access panels in ductwork.
Do you work with multi-site operators?
Yes. Our area covers London and the South East, so sites at different addresses can be planned together as one programme. Each site gets its own report and pictures.
Will we have to stop cooking for a filter change?
A filter change is quick and can be timed around service. The canopy shouldn’t be used without filters, so we swap them in one go.
Do you clean filters as well as exchanging them?
Yes, filters can be cleaned on a schedule as well as exchanged. We will explain the options when you get in touch.
What grease filter exchange looks like in London
According to Food Standards Agency records, there are about 431 pubs, bars and clubs and about 102 hotels and B&Bs across London and its immediate surroundings (about a mile and a half). A pub or hotel kitchen that cooks every day builds up grease in its extract like any other. Overnight is the normal time to clean a London kitchen extract, so trading is not affected. Kitchens in London get their food hygiene inspections from Southwark council. Extraction counts as kitchen equipment, so its condition can come up on the day. Before-and-after photos from each clean are a simple way to show the extract is in hand.
If you run a church or community hall kitchen, near St George the Martyr or elsewhere in London, its extract still collects grease from every lunch and event. Commuter trade near Elephant & Castle station can mean long cooking hours, and long hours put a kitchen into BESA’s more frequent cleaning bands. Term dates shape school work: for a school like Charles Dickens Primary School, an extract clean fits neatly into a half-term or summer break.
London is in Greater London. Across the CR0 area, we can carry out grease filter exchange at your premises. Across Greater London, we cover 764 places, London among them.
Here we cover the CR0, E14, CR4 and SW11 postcode area for grease filter exchange. That includes premises on Walcot Square, Surrey Square and Sutherland Square and the roads around them. With the A2 and A10 close by, London is simple for us to get to for grease filter exchange. If your site is just outside London, we cover Walworth (1 mile south), Bermondsey (1 mile east), Camberwell (2 miles south), South Bermondsey (2 miles south-east) and Surrey Canal (2 miles south-east). Further out, we also cover City of Westminster (3 miles west), Marylebone (3 miles north-west), Kensington (5 miles west), Walthamstow (7 miles north-east), Hampstead (5 miles north-west) and Ruislip (14 miles west). Being one of Greater London’s larger places, London has a wide mix of commercial premises, all within our area for grease filter exchange.
Local landmarks in London
In London, that means kitchens and buildings near Newington Gardens, Trinity Arms Public House and London School of Musical Theatre. Also close by are St Mary-at-Hill (0.9 miles north-east), Ark Globe Academy (less than half a mile south) and The BFI Reuben Library (1 mile north-west). London has its own railway station: Elephant & Castle station. Other landmarks nearby include Surrey Dispensary (under half a mile south-east) and Baynard's Castle (0.9 miles north). For a walk, there’s Bellenden Road Nature Garden and St. James's Park Lake.
Part by part
The plenum
A greasy plenum is a sign filters have been left too long or that the next TR19 clean is due.
Baffle filters
Baffle filters are a common choice for commercial canopies. They still need regular cleaning, because the grease they collect builds up.
Towns and villages near London
What else we do in London
How the visit works
There are three stages on the day: set-up, the treatment itself and the sign-off. Set-up means sheeting and making equipment safe, while signing off means the written report and photos. The middle part takes longest, which takes well under an hour for most canopies. Access to the roof, the plant room and a parking space are worth sorting out before a visit in London.
- The filters in each canopy are measured and counted.
- An exchange schedule is agreed to suit your cooking.
- On each visit, we remove the greasy filters.
- Clean filters go in and we check they sit snugly.
- The dirty filters leave with us and the next visit is booked.
Getting ready for the visit
- Make sure equipment near the work can be switched off and left to cool
- Let us know about permits to work or site inductions
- Arrange a key holder or contact on site
Get a fixed quote
To help us quote: the address, the type of site and when it’s open, pictures of the system and the last certificate or report, if there is one. Once you have those, call us on 0345 646 2711, or send details by email.