Hertfordshire · TR19 inspections and grease testing
TR19 Inspection in Hitchin
Specialist TR19 inspection for Hitchin: a survey, a fixed price, careful work and proper paperwork. Ask us for a fixed quote.
- Kitchens taken over with no cleaning records
- Checking the result of a recent clean
- An insurer’s request for a TR19 audit
TR19 inspection for kitchens and businesses in Hitchin
Before any clean in Hitchin, we survey the canopy, plenum, filters, ducts, fan and discharge. We check where the access panels are and whether every section can be reached, and grease readings are taken at set points. The work covers pre-clean surveys, post-clean checks and deposit thickness tests, and people most often call us about insurers asking for TR19 evidence and checking the result of a recent clean.
Many kitchens in a town like Hitchin were fitted into buildings built for something else, which can mean awkward duct routes, long flat runs and not enough access panels. Where the duct cannot be reached, new panels can be fitted, and anything left uncleaned is recorded on the report.
Our accreditations include CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, and we’re fully insured. On top of that, we’re a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease, and we have been trading since 2009.
- Where
- Hitchin (SG4, SG5)
- Wider area
- Hertfordshire
- Records
- Certificate plus before-and-after pictures
- Price
- A fixed quote up front
- When we work
- Overnight and weekend work, 24/7 emergency callout
- Phone
- 0345 646 2711
- Reviewed
- 30 October 2026
Kitchen extracts in Hitchin
The FSA’s food hygiene register shows about 92 restaurants, cafés and canteens and about 37 sandwich bars and takeaways across Hitchin and its immediate surroundings (about a mile and a half). Kitchens like these cook for very different hours, and grease testing shows which extracts need cleaning soonest. Kitchens in Hitchin get their food hygiene inspections from North Hertfordshire council. They look at how clean the premises and equipment are, and the kitchen extract is part of that. A dated certificate in the maintenance file answers the question before it’s asked. Hitchin sits within the area of Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. Grease in a kitchen extract is a recognised fire risk, and the fire authority enforces the law on managing it in most commercial premises.
School kitchens, at schools like Hitchin Girls' School for example, are usually cleaned in the holidays so no lunches are lost. A hospital like Lister Hospital, about 3.1 miles south-east, is the kind of site where a kitchen may cook for patients, staff and visitors all day. For kitchens close to Hitchin station, where the day often starts early and ends late, the extract can be cleaned overnight.
Hitchin is about 5 miles north-west of Stevenage, in Hertfordshire. Wherever you are in the SG4 postcode area, we can carry out TR19 inspection at your premises. Across Hertfordshire, we cover 381 places, Hitchin among them. Our Milton Keynes page covers sites nearby, about 22 miles away.
Every address in SG4 and SG5 is covered for TR19 inspection, from busy streets to back roads. If you need TR19 inspection at premises on Market Place, London Road and Harrison Close or anywhere close by, we can help. With the A505 and A600 close by, Hitchin is simple for us to get to for TR19 inspection. We also cover Benslow (1 mile east), Poets Estate (1 mile east), Bearton (1 mile north-west), Walsworth (1 mile north-east) and Westmill (1 mile north-west). Larger places within reach include Stevenage (5 miles south-east), St Albans (14 miles south), Welwyn Garden City (11 miles south), Harpenden (10 miles south), Hatfield (13 miles south) and Hertford (13 miles south-east). Hitchin is one of the larger places we cover in Hertfordshire for TR19 inspection.
Near you in Hitchin
We work in commercial kitchens and buildings around Highbury Infant School and Nursery, Butts Close and Kingshott School, among other places. You’ll also find Radcliffe Arms (less than half a mile north-east) and St Mary's Church (less than half a mile south-west). There’s a railway station in Hitchin itself: Hitchin station. Other landmarks nearby include Wymondley Castle (1.7 miles east) and Lister Hospital (3.1 miles south-east). For a walk, there’s Purwell Ninesprings and Markham's Hill.
What we do, step by step
Everything the job needs comes with us, from protective sheeting to tools and access equipment. You only need to give us clear access and switch off what needs to be off. The visit takes anything from an hour for a small canopy and short duct to a good part of a day for a large site. Photos taken on a phone are usually enough for us to plan a job in Hitchin and give a fixed quote.
- First we look at the system’s cleaning history, if there is one.
- We follow the extract from canopy to discharge.
- We note where access panels are and where more are needed.
- We measure the grease and photograph each point.
- You get a report and a fixed quote for the clean.
Before we arrive
- Make sure equipment near the work can be switched off and left to cool
- Tell us the best time to work, such as after service or at a weekend
- Have your last certificate or report to hand
How to get a quote
For a fixed quote, phone us on 0345 646 2711 or email us and tell us the type of site, your opening hours and roughly what the system looks like. Photos and the last report, if you have one, make the quote quicker. We usually come back within one working day.
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Hitchin: your questions answered
Which council inspects kitchens in Hitchin?
The local authority for Hitchin is North Hertfordshire council, and its environmental health team does the inspecting. How often a business is inspected depends on the risk rating the council gives it, so it’s worth staying ready all year.
Can school kitchens in Hitchin be cleaned in the holidays?
Yes. Half-terms and the summer break are the natural time for school work. There are about 18 schools, colleges and universities on the FSA’s food hygiene register within about 1.5 miles of Hitchin. Booking early in the term gives the best choice of holiday dates.
What is TR19?
BESA’s ventilation hygiene specification in two main parts: TR19® Grease for kitchen extracts and TR19® Air for supply and extract systems. It isn’t law, but it’s the benchmark.
How long does grease testing take?
Expect it to take an hour or two for a single kitchen, longer for a large or complex system. The visit is timed so cooking isn’t disrupted.
Do you work with multi-site operators?
Yes. One number covers all your sites across London and the South East, with visits on a regular schedule.
Will you produce a report for our insurer?
Yes. Many insurers ask for proof of TR19 cleaning and inspection, and our audit gives a clear record of the system’s condition, with recommendations where something needs doing.
What if parts of the system cannot be reached?
They’re listed in the report, never skipped quietly. You will know exactly which parts weren’t reached and why, and we can quote to improve the access.
What happens to the waste?
We contain it and take it with us. Grease, debris and waste water are collected as the work goes on, so it does not spread.
What affects the quote in Hitchin
Sites vary more than people expect. The main factors:
- The size of the system
- How easy every part is to reach
- The condition we find in the survey
- How many systems or sites are involved
When the work has to happen, how we reach it and how big the site is all affect the cost. We take each of them into account and give you a fixed price before any work starts.
What we need to know
Many jobs can be priced from pictures and some basics. Send what you can of the following:
- The roof, plant room or outside wall the system runs to
- Wide photos of the system and the area around it
- Detail shots of panels, filters and grilles
- The site address and the type of premises
Here’s what helps us quote: where the site is, what it is and its opening hours, pictures of the system and the last certificate or report, if there is one. Once you have those, phone us on 0345 646 2711, or email photos.
Aftercare tips
After the visit, a few habits help the work last:
- Never cook with filters missing
- Share inspection reports with your insurer or broker when asked
- Keep the route to access panels clear
- Flag changes in how much frying the kitchen does
After post-clean verification, file the results with the cleaning certificate. The pair gives a clear record of the clean and the check.
Regular grease readings keep the cleaning interval honest. It shows if build-up is speeding up.
Landlords, agents and facilities managers
For anyone managing more than one site, we can plan visits across the whole estate and price them together. Every building has its own written report, so each one has its own record.
The Fire Safety Order 2005 puts the duty to manage fire risk on the responsible person, which may be the employer, owner, landlord, FM or managing agent. With shared responsibility, good records help everyone.
Different parts, different methods
Schools, hospitals and care homes
School and college kitchens still need their extract checked. Readings show if the interval is right.
Canopy and plenum
Behind the filters, the plenum catches plenty of grease. We take readings there and photograph it as part of every survey.
More services for Hitchin
What TR19 inspection can’t fix
Before booking, it helps to know what’s not included:
- Parts of the duct nobody can reach yet
- The grease itself, which needs a full or spot clean
- The legal duty, which stays with the responsible person
If you are not sure, just call us on 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line and we will give you a straight answer before you book.
Parts of the system we cover
- Pre-clean surveys
- Access surveys
- Insurer audits
- Post-clean checks
- Deposit thickness tests
- Wet film thickness tests
Why it’s worth doing now in Hitchin
If a kitchen in Hitchin has been cleaned on the same calendar for years, there’s no way to know if that interval is right without measuring. Testing gives you the evidence to set it properly. A small fault found now is a quick job; the same fault found later can close the site.
The cost depends on how big the system is, what state it’s in and how easy it is to reach. You get a fixed price before we start, so you know where you stand.
Why us?
- BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease
- A single point of contact for sites across the South East and London
- Fixed quotes from a survey or pictures
- Every job surveyed first
Take a look at how cleaning jobs are priced and our accreditations.