Medway · Kitchen extract cleaning
Kitchen Extract Cleaning in Lower Higham
For kitchen extract cleaning in Lower Higham, one call is all it takes, from survey to sign-off. Fully insured, with CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001.
- Missing paperwork after a change of operator
- Grease dripping from the canopy or filters
- A system with no record of a TR19 clean
Kitchen extract cleaning in Lower Higham
A kitchen extract system is far more than the canopy you can see. Beyond the filters run the plenum, the ducts and risers, the fan and the point where air leaves the building, and each part collects grease. Our clean follows the air from canopy to discharge, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease. The work covers plenums and filters, horizontal duct runs and discharge points, and common reasons people get in touch are heavy grease build-up inside the duct runs and poor airflow at the canopy. When a restaurant in Lower Higham asks for duct cleaning, it’s nearly always the kitchen extract they mean, and that’s our main job: the whole run from hood to roof, cleaned to TR19® Grease.
BESA sets minimum intervals by hours of cooking a day: every 3 months for 12–16 hours, every 6 months for 6–12 hours and every 12 months for 2–6 hours, with grease readings setting the real interval.
For a kitchen in or near Lower Higham, the visit is planned around opening hours and the journey, and the clean covers the whole system, as it would anywhere: canopy to discharge, then a TR19® certificate and a photo report.
For insurers and inspectors, the record counts. That is why every job is written up in a report with photos, plus a TR19® certificate through the BESCA VHE portal where the work is a TR19® Grease clean.
- Location
- Lower Higham (ME3)
- Region
- Medway
- Records
- TR19® certificate and photo report
- Price
- A fixed price before work begins
- Working hours
- Nights, weekends or holidays to suit you
- Telephone
- 0345 646 2711
- Last updated
- 30 October 2026
Lower Higham kitchens: local notes
Lower Higham lies within about 3 miles of the sea. Metal on the roof weathers faster close to the coast, and the extract fan and cowl are no exception. Food Standards Agency records include about 3 bars, pubs and nightclubs across Lower Higham 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. In Lower Higham, food businesses are inspected by environmental health officers from Gravesham council. The cleanliness of the kitchen and its equipment, extraction included, is part of what they check. Before-and-after photos from each clean are a simple way to show the extract is in hand.
Church and community hall kitchens, near St Mary's Church or anywhere around Lower Higham, are easy to forget, but their extracts collect grease like any other. Healthcare kitchens can’t easily close, so their extracts are cleaned overnight or between meal services; the nearest hospital to Lower Higham is French Hospital, about 3.3 miles south-east.
Lower Higham is about 3 miles north-west of Rochester, in Medway. Anywhere in ME3, we can carry out kitchen extract cleaning at your premises. We cover 68 places across Medway, large and small. You can also see our page for Maidstone, roughly 12 miles from Lower Higham.
Here we cover the ME3 postcode area for kitchen extract cleaning. We cover sites on Canal Road, Chalk Road and Chequers Street and the roads around them. Neighbouring places we cover for kitchen extract cleaning include Church Street (1 mile north), Higham (1 mile south), Mockbeggar (1 mile east), Gadshill (1 mile south) and Cliffe Woods (2 miles east). We also work in nearby towns such as Gillingham (6 miles south-east), Chatham (6 miles south-east), Rochester (3 miles south-east), Rainham (8 miles south-east), Strood (3 miles south) and Luton (5 miles south-east).
What’s near Lower Higham
In Lower Higham, that means kitchens and buildings near Strood Academy, Broomhill Park and The Chequers pub, among other places. There’s a railway station in Lower Higham itself: Higham station. Other landmarks nearby include French Hospital (3.3 miles south-east) and Upnor Castle (3.1 miles south-east). Not far away are Gad's Hill and Rede Common.
What we do, step by step
There’s very little for your team to do on the day. A contact on site lets us in at the agreed time and points us to the system, and the rest is down to us. Afterwards, the area is left tidy and the written report follows. Somewhere like Lower Higham, lanes, gates and parking are worth mentioning in advance.
- You send pictures or we visit, and the system is surveyed from canopy to discharge.
- Grease thickness is measured and the price is fixed before work starts.
- On the night, the equipment is off and cool and the kitchen is sheeted.
- We work through the system from the canopy to the fan and discharge.
- Readings are repeated, photos taken, and your TR19 certificate and photo report issued.
How to prepare
- Let us know when the site is closed or quiet
- Allow time for equipment near the work to be turned off and cool down
- Clear loose items from the work area
How to get a quote
For kitchen extract cleaning in Lower Higham, call us on 0345 646 2711 or email us. Tell us what kind of premises it is and when it’s open, and send pictures or your last report if you can. A fixed quote normally follows within one working day.
Advice
When something else is needed
To be straight with you, some problems need a different fix:
- Fire dampers that won’t close (that needs damper testing and remedials)
- Extraction that cannot cope with the cooking because of its design
- Damaged duct sections that need replacing
If in doubt, give us a ring on 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line and we’ll say what we think.
Where we work
- Canopies and hoods
- Plenums and filters
- Discharge points
- Extract fans
- Horizontal duct runs
- Vertical risers
Signs you need kitchen extract cleaning in Lower Higham
The type of cooking changes the amount of grease. Fryers, grills and open flames throw much more fat into the extract than gentler cooking, which is why grease readings matter more than the calendar.
These are the problems we see most often:
- Grease drips onto cooking equipment
- A smoky, hot kitchen with weak extraction
- An overdue clean flagged by an EHO or fire officer
- A TR19 certificate needed for the insurer
If you run a café or takeaway near Higham station, early starts and late finishes leave little time to clean, so overnight extract cleaning suits.
What to look for in a quote
- Their accreditations, such as BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite, CHAS or SafeContractor
- How areas they can’t reach will be recorded
- What’s included in the scope, part by part
- Whether the quote shows VAT
What affects the quote in Lower Higham
We don’t publish a price list, because no two systems are the same. The quote depends on:
- Any permits to work or inductions
- The size of the system
- Whether it’s a one-off visit or part of a schedule
- Whether several sites go on one quote
Working hours, access and the scale of the site all affect the cost. We take each of them into account, and the price is fixed before work begins.
What we need to know
To help us quote quickly, send us:
- Your opening hours and when the area is out of use
- The roof, plant room or outside wall the system runs to
- Anything you’ve noticed, such as smells, noise, drips or poor airflow
- Where the site is and what kind of site it is
Quotes are quick. Send a few details and pictures, and we typically reply with a fixed quote within one working day. Where a survey is needed, we arrange a time that suits the site.
Questions from Lower Higham
Does being near the coast affect kitchen extract cleaning in Lower Higham?
It can. Lower Higham is within about 3 miles of the coast, and salt air speeds up corrosion. A fan housing that is rusting near the coast can fail sooner, so it’s worth catching early.
Which fire and rescue service is responsible for Lower Higham?
Fire safety enforcement in Lower Higham is handled by Kent Fire and Rescue Service. A recent cleaning certificate and a note of the next clean date show that grease in the extract is being managed.
What do I get after the clean?
A TR19 certificate, plus a full photo report. The report lists what was cleaned, anything we couldn’t reach and when the next clean is due.
Is TR19 a legal requirement?
TR19 is not written into law, but the Fire Safety Order 2005 does require the responsible person to manage fire risk. Insurers, fire officers and EHOs look to TR19 as the standard, and many policies require it.
Do you cover Lower Higham?
Yes. We cover Lower Higham and the rest of Medway, within our South East and London area. To book, call 0345 646 2711 or email us.
Are you accredited for kitchen extract cleaning?
We’re members of Vent Hygiene Elite, the scheme run by BESCA, and we clean to BESA TR19® Grease. We also hold CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, and we’re fully insured.
What happens to the waste?
It leaves the site with us when we go. While we work, it’s kept contained to keep the area clean.
Can one contract cover all our sites?
Yes. We work across South East England and London, so we can schedule a run of sites on one programme. Each site gets its own report and photos.
Aftercare tips
Results last longer with the right care. Here’s what we suggest:
- Run the extract fan throughout cooking
- Wipe the canopy down at the end of each day
- Clean the grease filters regularly between TR19 cleans
- Tell us when the extract starts to drip or smell
After cleaning, we re-test the same points we measured at the start, giving you before and after readings alongside the pictures. A TR19 certificate follows, issued through the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal.
Keep the outside of the canopy wiped and any grease cups emptied. It won’t replace a TR19 clean, but it slows what reaches the duct.
Landlords, agents and facilities managers
Multi-site operators often want one contractor and one number. We work across London and the South East, so a run of sites can go into one programme and kept on a regular cycle.
Keeping records across a portfolio is half the battle. Every visit ends with a dated report and photos, ready to show insurers, fire officers or EHOs.
Also near Lower Higham
Other services in Lower Higham
Why act early in Lower Higham
Grease build-up causes everyday problems too. Filters block, airflow drops and the kitchen gets hotter and smokier, while the fan works harder to move less air. Grease drips, smells and condensation are common next. A planned visit to Lower Higham is easier to arrange than an emergency callout.
We don’t list prices on the website, because the cost depends on the site in front of us. Call for a fixed quote, and we will talk you through it.
Why choose Duct Doctor in Lower Higham
- Fixed quotes, typically within one working day
- Out-of-hours work and a 24/7 emergency line
- One number for every site across the South East and London
- In business since 2009
Take a look at how cleaning jobs are priced or how to check a contractor.