Kent · TR19 inspections and grease testing
TR19 Inspection in Smarden
TR19 inspections, grease thickness testing, pre-clean surveys and post-clean verification for businesses, landlords and public buildings in Smarden. CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, and fully insured.
- Missing access panels found on survey
- Cleaning intervals that may not suit the kitchen
- Extracts that have never been grease tested
What happens if it’s left?
Without readings, you are guessing when to clean. If grease reaches 500 microns anywhere, TR19® Grease calls for immediate spot cleaning, and you can only act on that if you’ve measured it. A fault that closes a site in a village like Smarden affects everyone who depends on it.
We don’t list prices on the website, because each job is priced on what it involves. Call for a fixed quote, and we’ll explain what it covers.
Why book with us
- Work around your opening hours, with 24/7 emergency cover
- A fixed price before any work starts
- In business since 2009
- A written report with pictures after each visit
About our TR19 inspection in Smarden
TR19® Grease says grease should not exceed a mean of 200 microns between cleans, and 500 microns or more at any point needs immediate spot cleaning. Testing is how you know where your system stands. Common call-outs are for missing TR19 certificates or history and insurance renewals needing proof of TR19 cleaning, on insurer audits, access surveys and wet film thickness tests.
Somewhere as small as Smarden, 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.
The paperwork matters as much as the work. You get a written report with pictures after each visit, covering the work done, any areas we couldn’t access and a recommended next date. File it in your maintenance log so it’s ready for an insurer, fire officer or EHO.
- Where
- Smarden (TN27)
- Wider area
- Kent
- Paperwork
- Certificate and photo report
- Price
- Fixed quote, usually within a working day
- Hours
- When your site is closed, plus a 24/7 line
- Call
- 0345 646 2711
- Page updated
- 30 October 2026
Different parts, different methods
Extract fan and discharge
The extract fan and its housing collect grease too. We check and test them as part of the inspection.
Schools, hospitals and care homes
Inspections are planned around mealtimes and holidays to avoid disruption.
Staff cleaning versus specialist work
Staff cleaning doesn’t replace a specialist visit; it supports it. Regular in-house cleaning slows the build-up, but hidden parts of the system still need specialist attention.
Your own staff can handle the daily basics: wiping canopies, washing grease filters and recording it in a log. Inside the ducts, risers and fan is specialist work, which is where we come in.
What TR19 inspection looks like in Smarden
Food Standards Agency records include about 3 pubs, bars and clubs within roughly a mile and a half of the centre of Smarden. Breakfasts, bar meals and functions all put grease into the extract wherever they’re cooked. Smarden sits within the area of Kent Fire and Rescue Service. In most workplaces, including commercial kitchens, it’s the fire and rescue authority that enforces the Fire Safety Order. Food hygiene inspections in Smarden are the job of Ashford council’s environmental health team. They look at how clean the premises and equipment are, and the kitchen extract is part of that. Our report lists what was cleaned and when, which is useful to have ready.
Church and community hall kitchens, near Church of St Michael or anywhere around Smarden, are easy to forget, but their extracts collect grease like any other. If you run catering at a healthcare site, such as a hospital like Benenden Hospital about 5.3 miles south-west, the extract may need cleaning more often than a part-time kitchen. School kitchens, at schools like Smarden Primary School for example, are usually cleaned in the holidays so no lunches are lost.
Smarden is about 8 miles west of Ashford, in Kent. We carry out TR19 inspection for commercial premises of every kind in Smarden and the rest of Kent. Smarden is one of 922 towns, villages and districts in Kent we cover for commercial clients. We also work in Maidstone, around 11 miles away.
Here we cover the TN27 postcode area for TR19 inspection. That includes premises on The Street, The Acorns and Water Lane and the roads around them. Other places close to Smarden include Biddenden Green (1 mile north-east), Smarden Bell (1 mile north-west), Monk's Hill (1 mile south-west), Swift's Green (1 mile north-west) and Standen (2 miles south-west). Larger places within reach include Maidstone (11 miles north-west), Ashford (8 miles east), Sittingbourne (13 miles north), Faversham (14 miles north-east), Kings Hill (15 miles north-west) and Davington (14 miles north-east).
What’s near Smarden
Around Smarden, our work takes us to kitchens and buildings near The Chequers Inn, among other places. The nearest railway station is Pluckley station, roughly 2.6 miles east of the centre. Nearby you’ll also find Romden Castle (1 mile east) and Benenden Hospital (5.3 miles south-west).
What happens on the day
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 around an hour or two per canopy and duct system. In a small place like Smarden, the journey is planned ahead and the visit arranged around the site’s hours.
- First we look at the system’s cleaning history, if there is one.
- We follow the extract from canopy to discharge.
- Access panels are located and any missing ones noted.
- We measure the grease and photograph each point.
- We report back with readings and a fixed quote.
Before we arrive
- Mention any locked doors, roof access or ceiling voids
- Allow time for equipment near the work to be turned off and cool down
- Agree a time when the area can be out of use
Ask for a quote
Photos are the quickest way to a quote: wide shots of the system, close-ups of anything that worries you and how we’d get to it. Add the site type and your opening hours, and many jobs can be priced from that alone.
Read more
Looking after it afterwards
Results last longer with the right care. Here’s what we suggest:
- Keep canopy edges and gutters wiped down
- Store grease readings where your insurer can see them
- Keep access panels clear and unpainted
- Clean or swap grease filters as often as the kitchen needs
Where sections couldn’t be reached, the report says where access panels would help. Fitting them before the next clean means the whole system gets done.
Fit access panels where the survey finds sections can’t be reached, so every part of the duct can be cleaned.
Smarden: your questions answered
Can you work in Smarden outside opening hours?
Yes, out-of-hours work is a big part of what we do. The site is handed back ready to open. Tell us your opening hours when you ask for a quote.
Which council inspects kitchens in Smarden?
The local authority for Smarden is Ashford 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.
What does TR19 mean?
TR19® is BESA’s specification for ventilation hygiene. TR19® Grease, a standalone specification since 2019, covers grease in kitchen extract systems, and TR19® Air covers general supply and extract systems.
Do you carry out TR19 audits for insurers?
Yes, for kitchens across the South East and London. Share the insurer’s request so the report addresses it.
Is there a survey before the work?
Yes, every time. Diagnosis comes before treatment: the survey shows what needs doing and what access we need and the fixed quote is built on it.
What accreditations do you have?
We hold CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001, and we are a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease. The Vent Hygiene Elite scheme is run by BESCA and audited independently.
How much time does an inspection need?
Expect it to take around an hour or two per canopy and duct system. The visit is timed so cooking isn’t disrupted.
What is a WFTT or DTT grease test?
We measure the grease at set points with a WFTT or DTT test, then compare them with the TR19® Grease figures.
Landlords, agents and facilities managers
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 to a regular schedule.
Facilities teams in offices, schools and healthcare sites book us too in Smarden and across Kent. Work can be phased by floor, building or site around the people who use them.
Places near Smarden
What else we do in Smarden
What TR19 inspection cannot fix
It’s worth knowing the limits before booking:
- Sections with no access, until panels are fitted
- Fan breakdowns, which need a repair visit
- Removing the grease, which is a separate clean
Not sure which it is? You can ring 0345 646 2711 or use the quote form and we will tell you honestly before you book.
What the work covers
- Wet film thickness tests
- Post-clean checks
- Deposit thickness tests
- Access surveys
- Pre-clean surveys
- Insurer audits