Reading · TR19 inspections and grease testing
TR19 inspections in Southcote
Professional TR19 inspection in and around Southcote, timed so the site keeps working and finished with a written report and photos.
- Confirming a clean reached the whole system
- Systems cleaned on a calendar with no measurements
- Surveys needed before quoting a full clean
About our TR19 inspection in Southcote
Under TR19® Grease, the mean grease thickness should stay at or below 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. If you have extracts that may be over the 200 micron mean and surveys needed before quoting a full clean, we can put it right.
Around a smaller place like Southcote, kitchen extracts tend to belong to pubs, cafés, takeaways and school or care home kitchens. A kitchen that cooks fewer hours still builds up grease, so cleaning is planned around how much it cooks and what the readings show.
We’re CHAS and SafeContractor accredited, we hold ISO 9001 and we are fully insured. On top of that, we are a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease, and we have been trading since 2009.
- Place
- Southcote (RG30, RG31, RG1)
- Wider area
- Reading
- Reporting
- TR19® certificate and photo report
- Price
- A fixed quote up front
- Working hours
- Overnight and weekend work, 24/7 emergency callout
- Telephone
- 0345 646 2711
- Updated
- 30 October 2026
What the work involves, part by part
Extract fan and discharge
A greasy fan works harder and wears faster. The inspection shows whether it needs cleaning now.
Restaurants, pubs and hotels
Kitchens that cook for long hours build up grease faster. Readings show if the cleans are frequent enough.
Keeping the system healthy
Looking after the system between visits is straightforward, and it helps at the next visit:
- Tell us if menus or opening hours change
- Never cook with filters missing
- Keep access panels clear and unpainted
- Diary the next grease test and clean
If any reading is 500 microns or more, the report flags it for immediate spot cleaning, and we can quote to do it.
Keep all TR19 records together so you can produce them quickly.
What a clean will not put right
TR19 inspection can’t fix everything, and we’d rather say so up front. It won’t put right:
- The grease itself, which needs a full or spot clean
- Fan breakdowns, which need a repair visit
- Fire safety duties beyond the extract system
If you’re not sure, just call 0345 646 2711, or email photos and we’ll give you a straight answer.
Parts of the system we cover
- Post-clean checks
- Deposit thickness tests
- Pre-clean surveys
- Wet film thickness tests
- Insurer audits
- Access surveys
Your questions about TR19 inspection in Southcote
Who inspects food businesses in Southcote?
Kitchens in Southcote are inspected by Reading council’s environmental health officers. Ratings are published by the Food Standards Agency, so a clean extract and good records are worth keeping up.
Which fire and rescue service is responsible for Southcote?
That’s Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service. It’s worth keeping your fire risk assessment, TR19® certificates and photo reports together, ready to show.
Do we have to follow TR19 by law?
No, TR19® is not legislation. The Fire Safety Order 2005 still requires the responsible person to manage fire risk, and grease in the extract is part of that. Many insurance policies also require TR19 adherence.
How often should a kitchen extract be inspected?
That varies with the kitchen’s daily use. BESA sets minimum cleaning intervals of 3, 6 or 12 months by daily use, and grease readings help set the real interval.
What do the grease readings need to be?
TR19® Grease says grease should not go over a mean of 200 microns between cleans. Any reading of 500 microns or more needs immediate spot cleaning.
Is there a survey before the work?
Yes. Photos often do the job, while bigger or harder-to-see systems are surveyed on site.
How far ahead should we book?
Earlier is better, especially for out-of-hours work. Quotes typically come back within one working day, and emergencies are covered by our 24/7 line.
What do you need from me for a quote?
The site address, the type of premises and your opening hours, plus pictures of the system and your last certificate or report if you have one.
What we are called out for in Southcote
Grease builds up as cooking vapour cools inside the extract. It often collects where nobody can see it: the plenum, bends and horizontal runs.
Most sites get in touch when they notice something like this:
- Heavy grease suspected in the plenum or ducts
- Missing TR19 certificates or history
- Surveys needed before quoting a full clean
- Confirming a clean reached the whole system
A hall kitchen that only cooks for events, whether near St Matthew's or elsewhere in Southcote, still needs its extract cleaned, just less often.
Questions to ask before you book
- Whether the whole system is included, or only the parts that are easy to reach
- Proof of accreditation you can verify
- Proof of insurance
- Whether they recommend a next date
What we do, step by step
At the end of the visit, someone from your team can look over the work with us. We point out anything that couldn’t be reached or needs a follow-up, and it goes on the report too. All told, the work takes around an hour or two per canopy and duct system. For a place like Southcote, we load the van from the survey notes so the work can be done in one visit where possible.
- Post-clean verification is booked once the clean is done.
- The same access points are opened up.
- We repeat the WFTT or DTT readings.
- Photos are taken to show the condition after the clean.
- We report the findings and flag any areas that need more work.
Before we arrive
- Clear loose items from the work area
- Mention any parking or loading restrictions
- Arrange a key holder or contact on site
How to get a quote
For a fixed quote, ring 0345 646 2711 or send us an email and tell us the type of site, your opening hours and roughly what the system looks like. A few photos and your last certificate or report help a lot. You’ll normally have a quote within one working day.
Read more
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. Booking ahead lets us plan the trip to Southcote at a time that suits you.
No two sites are the same, so we price each one individually. Size, access, the condition of the system and when we can work all play a part.
Why us?
- CHAS, SafeContractor and ISO 9001
- Work around your opening hours, with 24/7 emergency cover
- Ventilation hygiene specialists since 2009
- A written report with photos after every visit
Take a look at our cost guide or our accreditations.
Landlords, agents and facilities managers
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person must assess and reduce fire risk, which may be the employer, owner, landlord, FM or managing agent. With shared responsibility, good records help everyone.
Managing agents often deal with us directly. Tell us the site, the work and the access arrangements, and we’ll send a fixed quote.
TR19 inspection in Southcote: the local picture
Food Standards Agency records include about 10 pubs and bars and about 5 hotels and guest houses in Southcote and the streets around it, up to about 1.5 miles out. Breakfasts, bar meals and functions all put grease into the extract wherever they’re cooked. Southcote is covered by Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service. The Fire Safety Order puts the duty on whoever runs a kitchen to control its fire risk, and a greasy duct is fuel. Kitchens in Southcote get their food hygiene inspections from Reading council. Extraction counts as kitchen equipment, so its condition can come up on the day. A TR19® certificate and photo report after each clean gives you a record to show an inspector.
Term dates shape school work: for a school like Manor Primary School, an extract clean fits neatly into a half-term or summer break. If you run catering at a healthcare site, such as a hospital like Battle Hospital about 1.3 miles north-east, the extract may need cleaning more often than a part-time kitchen.
Southcote is about 2 miles west of Reading, in Reading. We carry out TR19 inspection for commercial premises of every kind in Southcote and the rest of Reading. Southcote is one of 34 places in Reading we cover for TR19 inspection.
We work across the RG30, RG31 and RG1 postcode area for TR19 inspection and the streets around it. If you need TR19 inspection at premises on Bath Road, Dwyer Road and Brunel Road or anywhere close by, our technicians can take on the work. Other places close to Southcote include Fords Farm (1 mile west), Horncastle (1 mile west), Burghfield Bridge (1 mile south-west), Tilehurst Within (1 mile north-west) and Norcot (1 mile north-west). Larger places within reach include Caversham (3 miles north-east), Shinfield (4 miles south-east), Arborfield Garrison (6 miles south-east), Caversham Heights (3 miles north), Whitley Wood (3 miles south-east) and Sonning Common (5 miles north).
What’s near Southcote
In Southcote, that means kitchens and buildings near The Happy Prospect pub, Elvian School and Calcot Park, among other places. For rail, the closest station is Reading Green Park station, about 1.1 miles south of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Beaumys Castle (4.7 miles south) and Battle Hospital (1.3 miles north-east). For a walk, there’s Sonning Hill and South Lake.