Takeaways — Kitchen Extract Cleaning in London
TR19 extract cleaning quotes for takeaways across Greater London.
A London takeaway is often a narrow shop unit with homes on the floors above and fryers, grills or woks working through a long evening. That leaves the extract duct running close to where people sleep. We arrange TR19 extract cleaning quotes for takeaways across London. An independent specialist provider carries out the work and issues the certificate, giving you paperwork for your landlord, your insurer and the fire service.
How often a takeaway extract needs cleaning
The interval in TR19 Grease follows daily cooking time: three-monthly for 12 to 16 hours, six-monthly for 6 to 12, and yearly for 2 to 6. A shop cooking from lunchtime until late normally needs the quarterly clean, while an evenings-only shop may be six-monthly. London Fire Brigade guidance note GN86 says frying and chargrilling create much higher grease levels than less intensive methods such as baking and boiling, so readings taken by the provider can bring the next clean forward. See the TR19 compliance guide for how the bands work.
Flats above: what London Fire Brigade has seen
The Brigade's guide for people living above business premises warns that commercial kitchen ducting running through a flat can be dangerous, because a fire inside it lets heat build up and can ignite things nearby. Properly encased and kept clean, it adds, the ducting is not something to worry about. Its incident reports show the other outcome. In April 2023 grease ignited in the extraction system of a takeaway with flats above on London Road, Norbury, in Croydon: ten fire engines attended, around 26 people were evacuated and the ducting from ground floor to roof was destroyed. Just after midnight in August 2024, grease in the ducting of a takeaway on Kennington Road, Lambeth, caught fire and damaged an extraction unit on the flat roof above, and several people left the shop and the flats. In December 2024 a build up of cooking oil in the ducting started a fire at a restaurant with flats above on Plashet Road, Plaistow.
The fire risk assessment, insurance and your landlord
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 gives the responsible person the job of assessing and reducing fire risk, and London Fire Brigade enforces it in the capital. Its page for takeaways, cafes and restaurants says every business needs a fire risk assessment, and that kitchen ducting should be cleaned regularly because built-up grease could ignite and spread smoke and fire to other parts of the property and to nearby premises. GN86 warns that failing to keep up a proper cleaning regime could affect an insurance claim. If you rent the shop, agree in writing with the landlord which of you arranges the clean and where the certificate is kept.
What the provider works through
The provider works through the canopy and filters, along the duct to where it discharges, and on to the extract fan. GN86 says fire safety staff check whether the duct has enough access panels along its length for cleaning and inspection, so panels are added where a section cannot be reached. Grease thickness is recorded before and after, with photographs from the same points. If part of the duct passes through a neighbour's flat or shop, GN86 makes it the occupier's job to arrange access. TR19 kitchen extract cleaning covers the full scope.
Fitting the clean around trading
Most shops book the clean for a morning before opening or for after closing on their quietest night. Let us know your slowest day and how the fan is reached, whether through a flat, a rear yard or a ladder to a flat roof, so access can be planned. If nobody knows the route, an inspection report can chart it beforehand. Own several shops? One quote can cover every unit, with a certificate for each, and the cost guide sets out what pushes the price up or down.
Food hygiene ratings
Your food hygiene rating is separate. A food safety officer from your borough council inspects the business under the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, which councils run in partnership with the Food Standards Agency, and the rating then appears on the FSA's website. Display of the sticker is voluntary in England, though the FSA encourages it. The TR19 certificate deals with fire risk, not hygiene.
Where in London we arrange takeaway quotes
We arrange quotes for takeaways in Croydon, Brixton, Peckham, Tottenham, Walthamstow, Stratford, Dalston, Whitechapel, Wembley and Ealing, and across the rest of London. Ask for a quote and tell us about the flats, the roof and your opening hours.
Where we see these kitchens most
Services: TR19 extract cleaning · canopy cleaning · ductwork · filters · what it costs
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should a London takeaway extract be cleaned?
Shops cooking 12 to 16 hours a day fall in the heavy band of TR19 Grease, with a clean due at least every three months. Six to twelve hours a day puts you in the six-monthly band. Lots of frying or chargrilling can bring the date forward once the provider has measured the grease.
We have flats above the shop. What should we do?
Mention it when you enquire. London Fire Brigade warns that kitchen ducting running through a flat can be dangerous unless it is properly encased and kept clean. If the duct passes through someone else's property, GN86 makes it the occupier's job to arrange access for the clean.
Do we have to shut for the day?
Normally not. Most cleans happen before you open or once you have closed, so trading carries on as usual.
Is a food hygiene sticker compulsory in London?
No. Display is voluntary in England, although the Food Standards Agency encourages it. The rating comes from your borough council's inspection, and the TR19 certificate is separate evidence for the fire side.
Is the cleaning done by you?
No. London Canopy Cleaning arranges quotes. The cleaning and the certificate come from an independent specialist provider.
Get a Free London Kitchen Extract Cleaning Quote
Send us your kitchen details and we'll arrange a tailored, no-obligation quote from a specialist TR19 provider — usually the same day.