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I have spent a lot of time in the last few days scrubbing, washing, scraping and scratching at various greasy surfaces. The main reason I have had to do this is because the extractor system in the cafe hasn’t been well maintained. And by that I mean that it appears not to have been cleaned professionally for years. So grease that should have made it’s way out of the building, has instead adhered to every surface, and with it that familiar smell of old fat.

A small place doing regular fry ups all day should really have its grease ducts (if you click the link, play the video on the home page, with your sound turned up) cleaned every six months, a year max. A busy McDonalds would be looking at every two to three months. But it isn’t cheap. You really have to bring professional deep cleaning companies in, who will use steam cleaners to get rid of baked on grease from inside the ducts, going right up to the fan on the roof or side walls, via access panels. Failure to do so is likely to mean no insurance pay out following a fire caused by poorly maintained extractor ducts.

It’s one of those costs that is easy to forget about, annoying to pay for (as customers don’t see a benefit, though they may smell one), but stupid to ignore. It also is probably a good explanation as to why greasy spoons are so greasy and, frankly, smelly. The blocked filters are keeping a lot of those grease-filled droplets in the cafe, rather than them being sucked up the vent. That might not necessarily be so bad as a paying customer, perhaps even part of the attraction, but it must be pretty unpleasant to go home from work every day smelling of that.

So to complement all my scrubbing and rinsing , I have been getting quotes for a deep clean of the whole system. That will mean not only having the ventilation shafts steamed, but having proper access panels cut into the shaft, and the current, horrendously clogged filters replaced with metal baffle filters, which can be removed and washed in the dishwasher to keep them clean and thus efficient.

Now this may all seem a little dull to some, but it serves as a reminder to customers of the costs that have to be borne by a cafe or restaurant before the food hits your plate. I find it all pretty interesting because it’s an important part of the world I am stepping into. It’s the unsung lungs compared to the more lauded heart (taste) or pretty face (look) of your dish.

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