Essex · TR19 inspections and grease testing
TR19 Inspection in Althorne
We cover Althorne for TR19 inspections, grease thickness testing, pre-clean surveys and post-clean verification. Out-of-hours visits, a fixed quote and a written report with pictures as standard.
- Systems that need surveying before cleaning
- Kitchen extract systems with no recent grease readings
- Uncertainty over how often to clean
What your team can do, and what needs us
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. That is our job.
Logging matters as much as cleaning. A dated log of in-house cleaning and checks helps show that the system is managed between specialist visits, next to our reports.
TR19 inspection in Althorne
A pre-clean survey is the diagnosis, and the clean is the treatment. We look at the system, take grease readings and photograph what we find, so the clean can be planned properly. The work covers pre-clean surveys, post-clean checks and wet film thickness tests, and people most often call us about sections of duct that can’t be reached and kitchens taken over with no cleaning records.
Rural kitchens often have long, low duct runs through a roof space or along an outside wall, and those horizontal sections are where grease settles. Access, parking and timings are agreed before the day.
Insurers, fire officers and environmental health officers all look at records. So every job comes with a written report and photos, and grease extract cleans come with a TR19® certificate issued through the BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite portal.
- Place
- Althorne (CM3)
- Region
- Essex
- Reporting
- Certificate and photo report
- Quotes
- A fixed quote up front
- Working hours
- Out of hours as standard, 24/7 emergency line
- Phone
- 0345 646 2711
- Updated
- 30 October 2026
Signs you need TR19 inspection in Althorne
As hot, greasy air travels up the duct, it cools and leaves a film behind. It often collects where nobody can see it: the plenum, bends and horizontal runs.
What we’re most often called out for:
- Kitchens whose menu or hours have changed
- Kitchens taken over with no cleaning records
- Ductwork where grease may be over the TR19 limits
- Pre-clean surveys before a first TR19 clean
Volunteers running a hall kitchen near Parish Church of St Andrew, or anywhere in Althorne, may not know when the extract was last cleaned, and a grease test settles it.
What your quote should include
- Proof of accreditation you can verify
- What happens if part of the system can’t be accessed
- Whether the figure could change on the day
- If they look at the system before pricing
The process
Your staff do not need to do much 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. Before we leave, the area is tidied and the paperwork follows. The timing of a visit to Althorne is set by you, and the travel is our side of the planning.
- We go through any past certificates and reports.
- The layout is traced from the canopy to the discharge.
- Access panels are located and any missing ones noted.
- Grease readings are taken and photos recorded.
- We report back with readings and a fixed quote.
Before we arrive
- Clear loose items from the work area
- Make sure someone can let us in and lock up afterwards
- Let us know about parking and loading
Getting a quote
Some systems can be priced from pictures; others need a survey. Big or complicated sites, and systems that are hard to see in photos, get a survey first. Either way, the quote is fixed before any work is booked.
Related advice
Part by part
Extract fan and discharge
Grease on the fan adds to wear. Readings show if it needs attention before the next clean.
Restaurants, pubs and hotels
We test between services, early in the morning or after close so the kitchen keeps cooking.
TR19 inspection in Althorne: the local picture
Althorne lies within about 3 miles of the sea. Salt in the air is hard on rooftop fans, discharge cowls and fixings, so we check them for corrosion as well as grease. Food Standards Agency data counts about 3 restaurants, cafés and works canteens within roughly a mile and a half of the centre of Althorne. A WFTT or DTT reading tells each of those kitchens whether its grease is staying under the 200-micron mean. The fire and rescue service for Althorne is 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.
Commuter trade near Althorne station can mean long cooking hours, and long hours put a kitchen into BESA’s more frequent cleaning bands.
Althorne is about 5 miles north-east of Rochford, in Essex. Whether your site is in the middle of Althorne or further out, TR19 inspection is available to all kinds of commercial premises, from a single unit to a large public building. Our Essex coverage runs to 644 places, and Althorne is one of them. Our Chelmsford page covers sites nearby, about 13 miles away.
Every address in CM3 is within our area for TR19 inspection, from the main roads to the quietest streets. If you need TR19 inspection at premises on Station Road, Fambridge Road and Chestnut Farm Drive or a nearby road, our technicians can take on the work. Nearby, we also carry out TR19 inspection in Latchingdon (2 miles north-west), Mayland (2 miles north), Ostend (2 miles east), Maylandsea (2 miles north) and Creeksea (2 miles south-east). Larger places within reach include Chelmsford (13 miles north-west), Basildon (14 miles south-west), Maldon (6 miles north-west), Canvey Island (12 miles south-west), Billericay (14 miles west) and Rayleigh (8 miles south-west).
Landmarks near Althorne
In Althorne, that means kitchens and buildings near The Black Lion Public House and the streets around them. The closest station to Althorne is Althorne station, about 0.5 miles south of the centre. For a walk, there’s Lion Creek and Lower Raypits.
When it’s something else
Some problems need a different service or another trade:
- Fire safety duties beyond the extract system
- Ductwork that was designed or installed badly
- Sections with no access, until panels are fitted
If you’re not sure, just give us a ring on 0345 646 2711, or send details by email and we will give you a straight answer.
What the work covers
- Deposit thickness tests
- Post-clean checks
- Insurer audits
- Access surveys
- Pre-clean surveys
- Wet film thickness tests
For landlords and multi-site operators
Where a tenant occupies the premises but the landlord owns the building, the lease normally sets out who maintains what. We can quote either party and send the paperwork to whoever needs it.
Multi-site operators often want one contractor and one number. We work across London and the South East, so visits at different addresses can be planned together and kept to a regular schedule.
Althorne: your questions answered
Who carries out food hygiene inspections in Althorne?
Kitchens in Althorne are inspected by Maldon council’s environmental health officers. How often a business is inspected depends on the risk rating the council gives it, so it’s worth staying ready all year.
Who is the fire and rescue service for Althorne?
It’s Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, which covers Althorne. If a fire safety officer visits a commercial kitchen, they may ask about the fire risk assessment and how the extract is kept clean.
How often should a kitchen extract be inspected?
It depends on how heavily the kitchen cooks. BESA’s minimum cleaning intervals are every 3, 6 or 12 months for heavy, moderate and light use, and testing shows if your kitchen needs more.
What is TR19?
BESA’s ventilation hygiene specification, with two parts that matter most here: TR19® Grease for kitchen extracts and TR19® Air for supply and extract systems. It isn’t legislation, but it’s the standard people check against.
Do we have to follow TR19 by law?
No. TR19® is not law; it’s BESA’s specification. The law is the Fire Safety Order 2005, under which the responsible person must manage fire risk, and insurers, fire officers and EHOs look to TR19® as the benchmark.
What about areas you cannot get to?
They’re marked on the report. Often the fix is extra access, such as new panels in ductwork, which we can install.
What should I send you?
Where the site is, what it is and when it’s open, plus photos of the system and your last certificate or report if you have one.
What does TR19 inspection cost?
It depends on the site, so we quote each one individually. For a quote, give us a ring on 0345 646 2711 or email us with the site type, opening hours and a few photos.
Why act early in Althorne
Sites in Althorne that have never measured grease can’t tell whether their cleaning interval suits the kitchen. Testing gives you the evidence to set it properly. A planned visit to Althorne is easier to arrange than an emergency callout.
What you pay depends on the size of the system, the condition it’s in and access to every part of it. You get a fixed price before we start, so you know where you stand.
Why book with us
- Fixed quotes from a survey or photos
- Member of BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease
- Full insurance on every job
- In business since 2009
Take a look at our cost guide and how to check a contractor.