Kent · TR19 inspections and grease testing
TR19 inspections in Littlestone-on-Sea
TR19 inspection across Littlestone-on-Sea and nearby, timed so the site keeps working and finished with a written report and pictures.
- Post-clean verification after another contractor’s clean
- Pre-clean surveys before a first TR19 clean
- Systems cleaned on a calendar with no measurements
TR19 inspection in Littlestone-on-Sea, done properly
A grease test measures how thick the grease is inside a kitchen extract system. Readings are taken at set points using the Wet Film Thickness Test (WFTT) or the Deposit Thickness Test (DTT). From the numbers, you can see whether cleaning is due. We are often asked to deal with kitchen extract systems with no recent grease readings and kitchens whose menu or hours have changed, across deposit thickness tests, access surveys and pre-clean surveys.
Rural kitchens often have long, low duct runs through a roof space or along an outside wall, where grease settles in the flat sections. Access, parking and timings are agreed before the day.
Duct Doctor has been trading since 2009, and we are a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease. We also hold CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, and we carry full insurance.
- Location
- Littlestone-on-Sea (TN28)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Paperwork
- TR19® certificate and photo report
- Price
- A fixed quote up front
- Hours
- After hours by arrangement; emergencies any time
- Phone
- 0345 646 2711
- Last updated
- 30 October 2026
Your questions about TR19 inspection in Littlestone-on-Sea
Who would carry out a food hygiene inspection at a kitchen in Littlestone-on-Sea?
Food hygiene inspections in Littlestone-on-Sea are carried out by Folkestone and Hythe council. Have your latest TR19® certificate and photo report to hand, as an officer may ask how the extract is maintained.
Do you cover smaller places like Littlestone-on-Sea?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the site when you book.
What is a WFTT or DTT grease test?
The Wet Film Thickness Test (WFTT) and Deposit Thickness Test (DTT) measure how thick the grease is at a given point. Readings are taken at set points through the system.
Can the work be done while we’re closed?
Yes, and it’s often the best time. We book the visit for when the area is out of use, such as late evening, overnight or a weekend.
What does a pre-clean survey involve?
We check the layout, the grease levels and the access, so the clean goes to plan. Missing access panels are noted ahead of the clean.
How far ahead should we book?
That depends on the slot you want and the size of the job. Tell us your preferred dates when you ask for a quote, and if it’s an emergency, call us any time.
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 grease readings help set the real interval.
Do you check other contractors’ cleans?
We visit after a clean, take readings at set points and photograph the system. The report flags anything missed.
Kitchen extracts in Littlestone-on-Sea
The coast is only about 1 mile from Littlestone-on-Sea. Salt air speeds up corrosion of roof-level fans, discharge cowls and their fixings. Food Standards Agency records list about 25 restaurants, cafés and works canteens and about 10 sandwich bars and takeaways within roughly a mile and a half of the centre of Littlestone-on-Sea. A WFTT or DTT reading tells each of those kitchens whether its grease is staying under the 200-micron mean. Kitchens in Littlestone-on-Sea get their food hygiene inspections from Folkestone and Hythe council. An officer looking round a kitchen will see the canopy, and grease there is hard to miss. A TR19® certificate and photo report after each clean gives you a record to show an inspector.
For schools such as The Marsh Academy, kitchen extract cleaning is typically booked for the holidays, when the canteen is closed.
Littlestone-on-Sea is about 8 miles south-west of Hythe, in Kent. Wherever you are in the TN28 postcode area, we cover TR19 inspection for commercial sites. Littlestone-on-Sea is one of 922 places in Kent we cover for TR19 inspection. There’s also a page for Maidstone, roughly 27 miles from Littlestone-on-Sea.
All of TN28 is covered for TR19 inspection, from busy streets to back roads. We cover sites on Blenheim Road, St Nicholas Road and St Andrew's Road and the roads around them. Littlestone-on-Sea is on the B2071, so it’s easy for us to get to for out-of-hours visits. We also cover the places around Littlestone-on-Sea: Greatstone-on-Sea (1 mile south), New Romney (1 mile west), St Mary's Bay (2 miles north), St Mary in the Marsh (2 miles north-west) and Lydd-on-Sea (2 miles south). We also work in nearby towns such as Ashford (12 miles north), Folkestone (11 miles north-east), Hythe (8 miles north-east), Hawkinge (12 miles north-east), Tenterden (13 miles north-west) and Cheriton (11 miles north-east).
Near you in Littlestone-on-Sea
We work in commercial kitchens and buildings around St Nicholas Church of England Primary Academy, Captain Howey Hotel and Romney Warren Country Park and the streets around them. Nearby you will also find Lydd Town Museum (3.5 miles south-west) and Romney 'castle' (3 miles west). For a walk, there’s Burnthouse Pen and Dungeness National.
Fixed quotes for TR19 inspection in Littlestone-on-Sea
The diagnosis comes before the price. The main factors are:
- Any permits to work or inductions
- Whether we need access equipment or extra panels
- Working hours and out-of-hours timing
- One-off work versus a regular cycle
Putting the work off seldom saves money. Build-up, wear and faults tend to get worse, not better, and a neglected system can mean more work. If you are not sure what’s needed, phone us on 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line for straight advice and a fixed quote.
Helping us quote
What to send for a quote:
- Wide pictures of the system and the area around it
- Any access panels or hatches you can see
- The paperwork from the last visit, if you have it
- The roof, plant room or outside wall the system runs to
Here’s what helps us quote: where the site is, what it is and its opening hours, a few photos and any previous report or certificate. Once you have those, call us on 0345 646 2711, or send details by email.
Places near Littlestone-on-Sea
Also in Littlestone-on-Sea
Common problems we fix in Littlestone-on-Sea
Menus, opening hours and cooking styles change over time, and more frying or longer hours mean more grease. A cleaning interval set years ago may no longer fit.
Clients typically contact us after spotting one of these:
- Systems that need surveying before cleaning
- Systems cleaned on a calendar with no measurements
- Cleaning intervals that may not suit the kitchen
- Insurance renewals needing proof of TR19 cleaning
A hall kitchen that only cooks for events, whether near Church of St Nicholas or elsewhere in Littlestone-on-Sea, still needs its extract cleaned, just less often.
Questions to ask before booking
- What happens if part of the system can’t be accessed
- How VAT is shown on the quote
- Exactly which parts of the system are covered
- When the next visit should be, and why
Different parts, different methods
Extract fan and discharge
We look at where the extract discharges outside, as grease can build up there too.
Vertical risers
Risers in multi-storey buildings can pass through other areas, so we arrange access ahead of time.
Why deal with it now?
If a kitchen in Littlestone-on-Sea 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. Our emergency line runs 24/7, but a planned visit to Littlestone-on-Sea is calmer for everyone.
When the work has to happen, how we reach it and how big the site is can all change the price. We take each of them into account, and the price is fixed before we start.
What you get with us
- Each visit written up, with pictures
- Evenings, overnight and weekends, plus 24/7 emergency callout
- We’re fully insured
- Ventilation hygiene specialists since 2009
Multi-site and managed buildings
Running several sites is easier with one contractor. We work across London and the South East, so visits at different addresses can be planned together and kept on a regular cycle.
From a single site to a large estate, you get the same standard: a survey first, a fixed quote, the work timed around the site and a report with pictures.
Aftercare tips
Think of this as the after-treatment advice, short and simple:
- Share inspection reports with your insurer or broker when asked
- Mention new equipment or longer hours at the next test
- Wipe the canopy surfaces regularly
- File every inspection report with your certificates
The report recommends when the system should next be cleaned and tested, from the measured grease and the kitchen’s hours.
Keep all TR19 records together so the history is easy to show.
The process
The first job on site is protection: floors, worktops and anything near the work are covered. After that, the system is made safe and the work begins. It takes anything from an hour for a small canopy and short duct to a good part of a day for a large site, and the area is cleaned down before we leave. Pictures of the system and its access let us plan the work in Littlestone-on-Sea before we set off.
- The visit is arranged for when the kitchen is not busy.
- Every part of the system is examined, end to end.
- Grease readings are taken at set points using WFTT or DTT.
- Photos are taken at each point, and access gaps noted.
- We send a report setting out the readings, photos and next steps.
Getting ready for the visit
- Clear the space around the work
- Have your last certificate or report to hand
- Tell us about site rules, permits or sign-in
Get a fixed quote
The quickest way to a quote is to send pictures: the system from a couple of angles, plus any access panels or hatches. Tell us what kind of site it is and when it’s open, and many jobs can be priced from that alone.