Essex · Kitchen extract cleaning
Kitchen extraction cleaning in Start Hill
TR19 grease cleaning of complete kitchen extract systems, from canopy to discharge in Start Hill, surveyed first and signed off with a written report and pictures. Ask us for a fixed quote.
- A new tenancy or takeover with no cleaning history
- Cleaning needed before an insurance renewal or survey
- A kitchen with no current TR19 certificate
How we handle kitchen extract cleaning in Start Hill
Insurers often want evidence of regular TR19 cleaning, and some may refuse or reduce a claim when it’s missing. The certificate and photo report from each clean in Start Hill give you that record, ready for the fire risk assessment file. The work covers extract fans, canopies and hoods and vertical risers, and common reasons people get in touch are a kitchen with no current TR19 certificate and a new tenancy or takeover with no cleaning history. Kitchen extract cleaning, TR19 cleaning, extraction cleaning: whatever you call it, it’s the job we do every week across Essex.
BESA sets minimum intervals by hours of cooking a day: 3-monthly for heavy use, 6-monthly for moderate use and yearly for light use, with grease readings setting the real interval.
Somewhere as small as Start Hill, commercial kitchens are few: perhaps a pub, a school or care home kitchen, or a hall used for events. Each still has a canopy and duct that collect grease, whatever the size of the place.
Good records are part of the job. You get a written report with pictures after every visit, listing what was done, anything we couldn’t reach and when the next visit is due. File it in your maintenance log so it’s to hand when an insurer or inspector asks.
- Location
- Start Hill (CM22)
- Region
- Essex
- Paperwork
- Certificate and photo report
- Quotes
- Fixed quote, typically within a working day
- Hours
- When your site is closed, plus a 24/7 line
- Telephone
- 0345 646 2711
- Updated
- 30 October 2026
Why deal with it now?
TR19® is not law, but the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is. The responsible person must assess and reduce fire risk, which in a kitchen includes the grease in the extract. Cleaning to TR19 is the recognised way to show you’ve done it. It’s worth booking a check, because nobody sees inside a duct day to day.
You won’t find a price list here, because each job is priced on what it involves. Call for a fixed quote, and we’ll talk you through it.
Why Start Hill businesses choose us
- Fixed quotes from a survey or photos
- Every job surveyed first
- CHAS and SafeContractor accredited, with ISO 9001
- Evenings, overnight and weekends, plus 24/7 emergency callout
Take a look at what affects the cost or our accreditations.
Staff cleaning versus specialist work
Some jobs should never be done in-house: opening up ductwork, cleaning fans, drop testing fire dampers and measuring grease call for the right kit, training and safe access. Leave those to us.
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 don’t reach the grease that builds up further in. Reaching it takes a specialist with the right equipment.
How it works
Our technicians bring everything the work needs, from protective sheeting to tools and access equipment. You only need to give us clear access and switch off what needs to be off. On site, the work takes as long as the system needs, from a few hours to several planned visits. Somewhere like Start Hill, lanes, gates and parking are worth mentioning in advance.
- We survey the system, from your photos or on site, 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.
- Filters, canopy and plenum are cleaned, then the ducts, risers, fan and discharge.
- Readings are repeated, photos taken, and your TR19 certificate and photo report issued.
Getting ready for the visit
- Clear loose items from the work area
- Allow time for equipment near the work to be turned off and cool down
- Let us know how we reach the system, including roofs, risers and plant rooms
Getting a quote
Want a quote for kitchen extract cleaning? Please give us a ring on 0345 646 2711 or email us and tell us about the site. We’ll explain what we’d do and send a fixed quote before anything is booked.
Advice
What a clean won’t put right
We’d rather tell you now than book work that won’t help, so here are the limits:
- A fan motor that has burnt out
- Ductwork that is corroded, split or leaking (that’s for a ductwork contractor)
- Fat blocking the kitchen drains
If you’re not sure, just give us a ring on 0345 646 2711 or send us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer.
Where we work
- Horizontal duct runs
- Vertical risers
- Discharge points
- Canopies and hoods
- Plenums and filters
- Extract fans
Start Hill kitchens: local notes
Food Standards Agency data counts about 16 restaurants, cafés and canteens and about 3 takeaways within about 1.5 miles of central Start Hill. Any of them cooking under a canopy is sending grease into its ductwork every service. Kitchens in Start Hill get their food hygiene inspections from Uttlesford council. Extraction counts as kitchen equipment, so its condition can come up on the day. A TR19® certificate and photo report after each clean gives you a record to show an inspector. Start Hill is covered by Essex County Fire and Rescue Service. Its fire safety officers can audit commercial kitchens, and grease in the extract is part of a kitchen’s fire risk.
School kitchens, at schools like Birchwood High School for example, are usually cleaned in the holidays so no lunches are lost. Healthcare kitchens, like those at hospitals such as Herts and Essex Hospital (about 1.6 miles west), often cook for long hours, which puts them in BESA’s heavier-use bands.
Start Hill is about 2 miles east of Bishop's Stortford, in Essex. Whether your site is in the middle of Start Hill or further out, kitchen extract cleaning is available to all kinds of commercial premises, from a single unit to a large public building. 644 places in Essex are on our list, from busy centres to quieter spots. We also work in Chelmsford, about 15 miles from Start Hill.
Here we cover the CM22 postcode area for kitchen extract cleaning. You will find streets such as Start Hill and Provenance Close, and we cover them all for kitchen extract cleaning. Close by, we work in Bedlar's Green (1 mile south), Takeley Street (2 miles east), Burton End (2 miles north), Takeley (2 miles east) and Smith's Green (3 miles east). Further out, we also cover Chelmsford (15 miles south-east), Braintree (15 miles east), Harlow (8 miles south-west), Saffron Walden (11 miles north), Waltham Abbey (15 miles south-west) and Great Dunmow (6 miles east).
Around Start Hill
Locally, jobs take us to businesses close to The Three Willows pub, among other places. The closest station to Start Hill is Bishops Stortford station, roughly 1.9 miles west. Well-known places in the area include House On The Hill Toy Museum (2.4 miles north) and Moated mound (4.5 miles west). Not far away are Portingbury Hills and Rushy Mead.
How the job changes from site to site
Grease filters
Between TR19 cleans, filters still need regular cleaning, and a filter exchange service can take that off your hands. Clean filters slow the build-up further down the system.
Canopy and plenum
Behind the grease filters sits the plenum, which daily cleaning never reaches. With the filters out, the plenum is scraped and degreased.
Questions from Start Hill
Who carries out food hygiene inspections in Start Hill?
Food hygiene inspections in Start Hill are carried out by Uttlesford council. Ratings are published by the Food Standards Agency, so a clean extract and good records are worth keeping up.
Will you come out to Start Hill?
Yes. Villages and rural sites across the South East are part of our work, Start Hill included. The journey is planned ahead, so a few details about the route help.
Can you look after several sites?
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.
How long does it take to clean a kitchen extract system?
Length of duct, grease levels and access all affect it. Most jobs take a few hours for a small kitchen, longer for a large system.
How often does a kitchen extract system need cleaning?
The minimum is set by BESA guidance on daily use, from 3-monthly to 12-monthly. Kitchens that fry or grill a lot may need cleaning sooner, which grease thickness testing will show.
Do we have to close the kitchen for the clean?
When the kitchen is closed, at whatever time suits you. We need the equipment cool, and we leave the kitchen ready to cook.
How much does kitchen extract cleaning cost?
We don’t publish prices, because the cost depends on the job: how big it is, what state it’s in, how we reach it and the working hours. You get a fixed price before we start.
Where does the waste go?
It’s contained and taken away. Grease, debris and waste water are collected as the work goes on rather than letting it spread.
What affects the cost of kitchen extract cleaning
We quote each job individually. These are the things that affect it:
- Access, including roofs, risers and ceiling voids
- Working hours and out-of-hours timing
- Whether it’s a one-off visit or part of a schedule
- Whether several sites go on one quote
One small site or a whole estate, the quote is built the same way: what needs doing, how we get to it and when. You will have a fixed price before we start.
Helping us quote
When you call or email, it’s useful to have:
- Where the site is and what kind of site it is
- A few general shots of the system
- Where the plant sits or the system leaves the building, such as a roof or outside wall
- The paperwork from the last visit, if you have it
Getting a quote doesn’t take long. Send a few details and pictures, and we typically reply with a fixed quote within one working day. If we need to see the system first, we book a survey around your hours.
When to call us in Start Hill
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.
Common reasons sites call us include:
- Poor airflow at the canopy
- Ductwork thick with old, hardened grease
- An extract that has never been cleaned to TR19
- Proof of cleaning requested by an insurer
If you run catering at a historic house or estate in the area (Barrington Hall is about 2.8 miles south-east), event kitchens in older buildings often have awkward duct runs that need planning.
Questions to ask before you book
- How areas they cannot reach will be recorded
- Proof of accreditation you can verify
- Whether the figure could change on the day
- What hours they’ll be on site