Kent · TR19 inspections and grease testing
TR19 Inspection in Birling
One call covers TR19 inspections and grease testing in Birling, from survey to sign-off. Fully insured, with CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001.
- Extracts that may be over the 200 micron mean
- Uncertainty over how often to clean
- Kitchens taken over with no cleaning records
TR19 inspection in Birling
Post-clean verification is a check carried out once the cleaning is done, with fresh grease readings, pictures and a look at the areas that were cleaned. It shows whether the system was left in the condition the paperwork describes. If you have sections of duct that can’t be reached and post-clean verification after another contractor’s clean, we can help, from access surveys, wet film thickness tests and post-clean checks onwards.
In a village or hamlet like Birling, the kitchens that need extract cleaning are typically a pub, a school, a care home or a hall kitchen, wherever there is one. Each still has a canopy and duct that collect grease, whatever the size of the place.
Think of the report as the system’s health record: dated, with photos, and showing what was done. Grease extract cleans are also certificated to TR19® Grease through the BESCA VHE portal, ready for your insurer.
- Place
- Birling (ME19)
- Region
- Kent
- Records
- Certificate and photo report
- Quote
- A fixed quote up front
- Hours
- When your site is closed, plus a 24/7 line
- Call
- 0345 646 2711
- Reviewed
- 30 October 2026
What happens on the day
Your trading hours come first. Most visits are booked for when the area is out of use, such as evenings, overnight, early mornings or weekends. Once we are in, the area is sheeted and anything that has to be off is turned off and cooled, and the job takes a couple of hours for a typical kitchen extract system. A quick note on how to find the site and where to park makes a visit to Birling run smoothly.
- We agree a time when the kitchen is closed or quiet.
- We look over the canopy, plenum, ducts, fan and discharge.
- We take WFTT or DTT readings at set points along the system.
- We photograph the test points and record any sections we can’t reach.
- The findings go into a report with readings, photos and a recommended next clean.
Before we arrive
- Move anything stored near the system
- Agree a time when the area can be out of use
- Make sure equipment near the work can be switched off and left to cool
How to get a quote
Every quote begins with a look at the system, from your photos and details or, where that isn’t enough, a survey on site. After that, you get a fixed price for the work, before work begins.
Advice
What the work involves, part by part
Restaurants, pubs and hotels
Heavy use under BESA guidance, 12 to 16 hours a day, means a clean at least every 3 months, and readings show whether that is enough.
Canopy and plenum
We look over the canopy, inside and out, and note where grease has gathered.
Do you need TR19 inspection in Birling?
Grease builds up as cooking vapour cools inside the extract. The thickest layers can sit out of sight in the plenum, at bends and along flat runs.
It’s time to book a visit if you see:
- Kitchens whose menu or hours have changed
- Confirming a clean reached the whole system
- Ductwork where grease may be over the TR19 limits
- Kitchen extract systems with no recent grease readings
School kitchens, at schools like Ryarsh Primary School for example, are usually cleaned in the holidays so no lunches are lost.
Questions to ask before you book
- How they set the interval to the next visit
- Whether inaccessible sections are listed on the report
- Proof of insurance
- Whether a survey comes first
What affects the cost of TR19 inspection
Your quote is based on your site. We take into account:
- Working hours and out-of-hours timing
- Access, including roofs, risers and ceiling voids
- What state the system is in
- Where the site is and how we reach it
The price reflects the work, not guesswork. That is why every job is surveyed first, and the price is agreed before any work starts.
What to send for a quote
A few details help us quote accurately. With your enquiry, please include:
- The paperwork from the last visit, if you have it
- Your opening hours and when the area is out of use
- Where the plant sits or the system leaves the building, such as a roof or outside wall
- Photos showing the whole system and its surroundings
Quotes are quick. 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.
Grease, kitchens and Birling
Food Standards Agency data counts about 12 cafés, restaurants and staff canteens and about 5 takeaways and sandwich shops in and around Birling, up to about a mile and a half out. Where they cook under a canopy, a grease reading is the way to tell whether the extract is due a clean. Kent Fire and Rescue Service covers Birling. In most workplaces, including commercial kitchens, it’s the fire and rescue authority that enforces the Fire Safety Order. Food hygiene inspections in Birling are the job of Tonbridge and Malling council’s environmental health team. An officer looking round a kitchen will see the canopy, and grease there is hard to miss. Before-and-after pictures from each clean are a simple way to show the extract is in hand.
If you run catering at a healthcare site, such as a hospital like Maidstone Hospital about 4.5 miles south-east, the extract may need cleaning more often than a part-time kitchen. Historic houses near Birling, such as Starkey Castle about 3.9 miles north-east, are a reminder that older buildings with event kitchens can have long, awkward duct routes.
Birling is about 6 miles south-west of Chatham, in Kent. For TR19 inspection in and around Birling, please call us on 0345 646 2711, or email photos for a fixed quote. Our area covers London and the South East, including Birling. Birling is one of 922 places in Kent we cover for TR19 inspection. Our Maidstone page covers sites nearby (6 miles or so).
We work across ME19 for TR19 inspection and the roads nearby. If you need TR19 inspection at premises on Ryarsh Road, Masters Lane and Bull Road or anywhere close by, our technicians can take on the work. We also cover Paddlesworth (1 mile north), Leybourne (1 mile south-east), Lunsford (1 mile east), Snodland (2 miles north-east) and Larkfield (2 miles south-east). We also work in nearby towns such as Maidstone (6 miles south-east), Sittingbourne (14 miles east), Dartford (12 miles north-west), Sevenoaks (10 miles west), Royal Tunbridge Wells (14 miles south-west) and Gravesend (8 miles north).
Landmarks near Birling
Around Birling, our work takes us to kitchens and buildings near The Holmesdale School, The Duke Of Wellington Public House and Leybourne Lakes Country Park. Birling’s nearest station is West Malling station, roughly 1.8 miles south of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Leybourne Castle (1.1 miles south-east) and Maidstone Hospital (4.5 miles south-east). Green spaces nearby include Blue Bell Hill and Burham Down.
Birling questions
Is Birling within the area you cover?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. The journey is planned ahead, so a few details about the route help.
Can you come to Birling after we close?
Yes, out-of-hours work is a big part of what we do. The work in Birling can fit around your hours. Your opening times are the first thing we ask for.
Where does the waste go?
We contain it and take it with us. We collect grease, debris and waste water as we go rather than letting it spread.
Can you look after several sites?
Yes. One number covers all your sites in our area, and visits can be set on a regular cycle.
Can you price the work without visiting?
Often, yes. Photos of the system and the access, plus your opening hours and last report, are often enough. Larger or hidden systems need a survey on site first.
What’s TR19?
It’s the industry benchmark for cleaning ventilation and kitchen extract systems, written by BESA. It sets out inspection, cleaning and record keeping and expects a risk-based approach.
How much does TR19 inspection cost?
The cost depends on the size of the system, its condition, access and timing. Call for a fixed quote, usually ready within one working day.
What grease levels does TR19 allow?
Under TR19® Grease, the mean thickness should not exceed 200 microns between cleans. Any reading of 500 microns or more needs immediate spot cleaning.
What TR19 inspection cannot fix
It’s worth knowing the limits before booking:
- Design faults in the extract system
- Sections with no access, until panels are fitted
- The legal duty, which stays with the responsible person
If in doubt, call us on 0345 646 2711 or email us and we will say what we think before booking.
Parts of the system we cover
- Insurer audits
- Pre-clean surveys
- Wet film thickness tests
- Deposit thickness tests
- Access surveys
- Post-clean checks
More services for Birling
Between visits
A little care between visits keeps the system in better shape. We recommend:
- Clean grease off the canopy between professional cleans
- Tell us if menus or opening hours change
- Diary the next grease test and clean
- Look out for grease drips round the canopy edge
For an insurer audit, send them the report as it is, including readings, pictures and any inaccessible sections.
Clean, correctly fitted filters stop more grease reaching the duct. Missing or damaged filters let grease straight into the plenum.
What happens if it’s left?
If there’s a fire or a claim, your insurer may ask for TR19 records. Without them, a claim can be reduced or refused. An up-to-date inspection report is a good place to start. Systems in rural buildings are often out of sight and out of mind.
Whatever the type of site, the quote works the same way: how much there is, how we reach it, what state it’s in and when we can work. Ask for a fixed quote and we will explain each part.
What you get with us
- CHAS and SafeContractor accredited, with ISO 9001
- Full insurance on every job
- We diagnose before we treat
- In business since 2009