Restaurant and Kitchen Cleaning: What the Law Requires and What Good Looks Like

# Restaurant and Kitchen Cleaning: What the Law Requires and What Good Looks Like

Food businesses face a level of cleaning scrutiny that most other commercial premises do not. Environmental Health Officers can inspect at any time. Food hygiene ratings are published publicly and directly affect trade. A single serious hygiene failure can result in closure, prosecution, and reputational damage that takes years to recover from.

For restaurants, cafes, takeaways, and food businesses across Slough, Maidenhead, Reading, and the wider Thames Valley, professional cleaning is not optional — it is a legal and commercial necessity.

The Legal Framework

Food businesses in England are regulated primarily by:

Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs. This requires food business operators to ensure that food premises are kept clean and maintained in good repair and condition. All articles, fittings, and equipment with which food comes into contact must be effectively cleaned and, where necessary, disinfected.

The Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013. These implement the EU hygiene regulations in English law and give Environmental Health Officers the power to inspect, issue improvement notices, and close premises that pose a risk to public health.

HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points). Food businesses are required to implement and maintain HACCP-based food safety management systems. Cleaning is a critical control point in most HACCP plans.

In practice, this means: your cleaning regime must be documented, followed consistently, and capable of being demonstrated to an Environmental Health Officer on inspection.

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) is operated by local authorities across England. Ratings run from 0 (urgent improvement necessary) to 5 (very good). Ratings are published on the Food Standards Agency website and must be displayed in food business premises in Wales and Northern Ireland (display is voluntary in England, but most businesses choose to display a 5-star rating).

Inspectors assess three elements:

1. Hygienic food handling — how food is prepared, cooked, and stored
2. Cleanliness and condition of facilities — the physical state of the premises and equipment
3. Management of food safety — documentation, training, and systems

Cleaning directly affects elements 2 and 3. A business with poor cleaning standards will not achieve a 5-star rating.

What Professional Kitchen Cleaning Covers

### Daily Cleaning (During and After Service)

• All food contact surfaces — worktops, chopping boards, preparation areas — cleaned and disinfected after each use and at the end of service
• All cooking equipment — grills, fryers, ovens, hobs — cleaned after each service
• All utensils and equipment washed, rinsed, and sanitised
• Floors swept and mopped after each service
• Bins emptied and replaced
• Handwashing facilities checked and restocked

### Weekly Deep Clean

• All cooking equipment deep cleaned — inside ovens, fryer oil changed and fryer cleaned, grill plates removed and cleaned
• All surfaces degreased — walls, splashbacks, shelving
• Refrigeration units cleaned inside and out, temperature logs checked
• Drainage channels cleaned and deodorised
• Floors scrubbed with appropriate degreaser

### Monthly or Quarterly Deep Clean

• Extraction canopy and ductwork cleaned and degreased (this is a fire safety requirement as well as a hygiene requirement — grease build-up in extraction systems is a leading cause of commercial kitchen fires)
• All refrigeration units defrosted and deep cleaned
• All shelving and racking removed and cleaned
• Walls and ceilings cleaned
• Pest control inspection points checked

Extraction System Cleaning: A Fire Safety Obligation

Grease accumulation in kitchen extraction systems is one of the most significant fire risks in commercial kitchens. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires food business operators to manage this risk as part of their fire risk assessment.

TR19 is the industry standard for kitchen extract cleaning, published by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA). It specifies cleaning frequencies based on the type and volume of cooking:

• Heavy use (12+ hours per day): every 3 months
• Moderate use (6–12 hours per day): every 6 months
• Light use (less than 6 hours per day): annually

Extraction cleaning must be carried out by a specialist contractor and documented with a certificate. Your insurer may require this documentation — failure to maintain extraction systems can invalidate your fire insurance.

CQD Cleaning Services: Food Business Cleaning Across the Thames Valley

CQD Cleaning Services provides specialist commercial cleaning to food businesses across Slough, Maidenhead, Reading, High Wycombe, Windsor, and the wider Thames Valley.

We understand the legal requirements, the HACCP framework, and the standards that Environmental Health Officers expect. We are ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified. All staff are DBS checked and trained in food hygiene awareness.

Call 01494 911001 or complete our online enquiry form to discuss your requirements and arrange a free site survey. We respond within 2 hours.