Could Your Business Be Investigated For A Bad Kitchen Odour?

Local councils, including Eastbourne and Tunbridge Wells, regularly investigate complaints from residents about bad odours. 

The councils encourage local residents and workers to report businesses with nuisance odours and pinpoint their locations. They also ask for information about the type of odour, when it occurs and how long for. 

While these complaints do include some directed at agricultural and industrial businesses, other complaints are directed at commercial kitchens. 

Restaurants, takeaways and other commercial food premises can be subject to investigations. Many of these investigations focus specifically on the extractor systems and ducting. 

On-site, inspectors look at how well those areas of the kitchen are maintained and if they are cleaned properly. 

How can deep cleaning help improve bad smells?

Poorly maintained kitchens and irregular cleaning can leave a buildup of excess grease, dirt and food waste. Prevention is better than cure when it comes to keeping Council inspectors from your door. 

Cooking and food preparation cause grease aerosol particles that an extractor system should filter and remove from the air. Without regularly scheduled deep cleaning, the extractor and ducting will not function the way they are designed to, causing tiny grease and food particles to be recirculated. 

During peak business hours, when a kitchen produces the most grease in the air, it can cause nuisance odours that bother residents. 

Regular cleaning of hard-to-access and hard-to-clean areas, such as the ducting and extraction systems, is essential to reducing annoying and unpleasant smells. 

Staying compliant with health and safety regulations can also keep your business odour-free. Recommended cleaning schedules in line with BESA TR19 suggest every 2-6 months for kitchens with heavy production grease and 3-12 months for medium levels of grease.  

While a deep clean of your commercial kitchen will not prevent all odours, it can ensure that your kitchen is compliant and reduce the chances of unexpected inspections.