Kent · TR19 inspections and grease testing
TR19 inspections and grease testing in West Malling, Kent
We cover West Malling for TR19 inspections, grease thickness testing, pre-clean surveys and post-clean verification. Out-of-hours visits, a fixed quote and a written report with pictures on every job.
- Heavy grease suspected in the plenum or ducts
- Kitchens taken over with no cleaning records
- Cleaning intervals that may not suit the kitchen
Why act early in West Malling
Surveying first means the clean goes to plan. Access problems are spotted in advance rather than on the night, so the clean covers the whole system. It’s easy to lose track of when the work was last done on a quieter site.
Leaving it longer rarely makes the work cheaper. Problems in a system tend to grow, and a neglected system can mean more work. If you’re not sure what’s needed, call 0345 646 2711 or use the quote form for straight advice and a fixed quote.
Why West Malling businesses choose us
- Out-of-hours work and a 24/7 emergency line
- A single point of contact for sites across the South East and London
- Ventilation hygiene specialists since 2009
- A fixed price before any work starts
See our cost guide and how to check a contractor.
TR19 inspection in West Malling, done properly
Grease thickness testing tells you how much grease is sitting in the canopy, ducts and fan. 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. If you’re dealing with systems that need surveying before cleaning and ductwork where grease may be over the TR19 limits, we can put it right.
In a smaller place like West Malling, the kitchens with extract systems are more likely to be a pub, a café, a takeaway or a school or care home kitchen than a big restaurant. A kitchen that cooks fewer hours still builds up grease, so cleaning is planned around how much it cooks and what the readings show.
Good records are part of the job. Each visit is written up with photos, covering the work done, any areas we couldn’t access and a recommended next date. File it in your maintenance log so it’s to hand when an insurer or inspector asks.
- Where
- West Malling (ME19)
- Region
- Kent
- Reporting
- Certificate plus before-and-after photos
- Quotes
- A fixed quote up front
- When we work
- Evenings, overnight and weekends; 24/7 emergencies
- Call
- 0345 646 2711
- Last updated
- 30 October 2026
When something else is needed
TR19 inspection cannot fix everything, and we’d rather say so up front. It does not solve:
- Fire safety duties beyond the extract system
- Ductwork that was designed or installed badly
- Removing the grease, which is a separate clean
If you’re not sure, just give us a ring on 0345 646 2711, or email photos and we will give you a straight answer before you book.
Parts of the system we cover
- Access surveys
- Pre-clean surveys
- Deposit thickness tests
- Post-clean checks
- Insurer audits
- Wet film thickness tests
Signs you need TR19 inspection in West Malling
Grease in a duct is flammable fuel. A flare-up on the range can be drawn into the canopy and duct, and from there a fire can spread through the ductwork. Knowing how much there is lets you act before it becomes a hazard.
These are the problems we see most often:
- Missing TR19 certificates or history
- Post-clean verification after another contractor’s clean
- Surveys needed before quoting a full clean
- Insurers asking for TR19 evidence
If you run a café or takeaway near West Malling station, early starts and late finishes leave little time to clean, so overnight extract cleaning suits.
What to look for in a quote
- If the quote is a fixed price or an estimate
- How VAT is shown on the quote
- What happens if part of the system cannot be accessed
- Whether the whole system is included, or only the parts that are easy to reach
How it works
A visit follows the same order every time: sheeting and protection first, make the system safe, do the work, tidy up and leave you the report. On site, the work takes a morning or less for one kitchen, more where there are several systems. Tell us when your site near West Malling is quiet and the visit will be booked for then.
- 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.
How to prepare
- Make sure equipment near the work can be switched off and left to cool
- Let us know about parking and loading
- Mention any sign-in, permit or induction we need
Getting a quote
Here’s what helps us quote: where the site is, what it is and its opening hours, a few pictures and any previous report or certificate. Once you have those, call us on 0345 646 2711, or email photos.
Advice
West Malling: your questions answered
Do you clean school canteen extracts around West Malling out of term?
Yes, holiday work suits schools best. Around West Malling, the Food Standards Agency lists about 22 schools and colleges with registered kitchens within a mile and a half or so. Just give us a ring on 0345 646 2711 or email us with your term dates and we will plan around them.
Who would carry out a food hygiene inspection at a kitchen in West Malling?
In West Malling, it’s Tonbridge and Malling council that carries out food hygiene inspections. Have your latest TR19® certificate and photo report to hand, as an officer may ask how the extract is maintained.
How often should a kitchen extract be inspected?
Enough to be sure grease stays within the TR19® Grease figures between cleans. If readings rise, the interval should shorten.
What is post-clean verification?
It’s an inspection after cleaning, to show what state the system was left in, for our cleans and other firms’ alike.
Do you carry out TR19 audits for insurers?
Yes. Our TR19 audits cover readings, photos, access and a recommended cleaning interval. It’s set out for your insurer or broker.
What do you need from me for a quote?
A short description and a few photos plus the address and your hours. We will ask for anything else we need.
What do you do to protect the area?
Floors and surfaces near the work are sheeted before we start, and anything we remove is contained. At the end, the area is cleaned down.
What happens if you can’t reach some of it?
We never leave them off the paperwork. You will know exactly which parts weren’t reached and why, along with a quote to put access in.
What affects the cost of TR19 inspection
We do not publish a price list, because sites vary so much. The quote depends on:
- How many systems or sites are involved
- The size of the system
- Parking and loading at the site
- Any permits to work or inductions
Combining work into one visit or one programme can make for a more efficient booking. Tell us about everything you’d like looked at, and you will get one fixed quote.
Asking for a quote
There’s no need for technical detail. Just send:
- Anything you’ve noticed, such as smells, noise, drips or poor airflow
- Where the site is and what kind of site it is
- The roof, plant room or outside wall the system runs to
- Your opening hours and when the area is out of use
Photos are enough for some jobs, while others need a look on site. Larger sites, and anything hidden behind walls, ceilings or floors, are normally surveyed first. Either way, you get a fixed price before work begins.
Grease, kitchens and West Malling
The FSA’s food hygiene register includes about 15 bars, pubs and nightclubs within roughly a mile and a half of the centre of West Malling. Where they serve hot food, their kitchen extracts need cleaning to TR19® like any restaurant’s. Food hygiene inspections in West Malling are the job of Tonbridge and Malling council’s environmental health team. Extraction counts as kitchen equipment, so its condition can come up on the day. Our report lists what was cleaned and when, which is useful to have ready. Kent Fire and Rescue Service covers West Malling. The Fire Safety Order puts the duty on whoever runs a kitchen to control its fire risk, and a greasy duct is fuel.
Healthcare kitchens, like those at hospitals such as Maidstone Hospital (about 3.8 miles east), often cook for long hours, which puts them in BESA’s heavier-use bands. Bursars and site managers at schools such as More Park Catholic Primary School tend to book extract cleaning for when the kitchen is empty.
West Malling is about 6 miles west of Maidstone, in Kent. Whether your site is in the middle of West Malling or further out, we cover TR19 inspection for every kind of premises, from a single unit to a large public building. West Malling is one of 922 towns, villages and districts in Kent we cover for commercial clients. You can also see our page for Maidstone, about 6 miles away.
All of ME19 is within our area for TR19 inspection, from busy streets to back roads. Streets in the area include High Street, Police Station Road and London Road, all of which we cover for TR19 inspection. West Malling sits on or near the A20, so getting to you is simple for TR19 inspection. Other places close to West Malling include Well Street (1 mile south-east), East Malling (1 mile east), Kings Hill (2 miles south), Ditton (2 miles east) and Red Hill (3 miles south-east). We also work in nearby towns such as Maidstone (6 miles east), Sittingbourne (15 miles east), Dartford (13 miles north-west), Sevenoaks (9 miles west), Royal Tunbridge Wells (12 miles south-west) and Gravesend (9 miles north).
What’s near West Malling
In West Malling, that means kitchens and buildings near Manor Park Country Park, The Malling School and The Malling School and the streets around them. For rail, the closest station is West Malling station, about 0.7 miles east. Nearby you’ll also find Coldrum Long Barrow (2.3 miles north-west) and Leybourne Castle (1.1 miles north-east). For a walk, there’s Burham Down and Blue Bell Hill.
Multi-site and managed buildings
When the building owner and the occupier are different, it’s worth checking the lease for who maintains the systems. We can quote either party, and the report can go to both.
If you look after several sites, we can schedule visits across all of them on one quote. Each site gets its own report and pictures, so records stay tidy.
Part by part
Extract fan and discharge
A greasy fan works harder and wears faster. The inspection shows whether it needs cleaning now.
Vertical risers
Risers in multi-storey buildings can pass through other areas, so access is planned in advance.