Fire safety for restaurants
& cafes.Properly assessed, from £295.
A restaurant's kitchen is one of the highest fire-risk environments in any commercial building, and most of the public sitting in the dining room have no idea how to get out if something goes wrong. Commercial kitchens, grease in extraction ducting, LPG and open flames, tight layouts, and a public who arrive and leave throughout service all shape what a suitable fire risk assessment looks like. We carry out fire risk assessments for restaurants, cafes, and food businesses across the North West and North Wales.
Who is the Responsible Person?
In a restaurant the duty sits clearly with the employer, but in a shared building it needs careful definition.
The employer operating the restaurant is the Responsible Person and must ensure a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is in place covering the whole premises, including the kitchen, the dining room, any external areas, and any storage.
Where the restaurant occupies part of a larger building, such as a ground floor unit with offices or flats above, the Responsible Persons must co-operate. Escape routes that pass through common areas or other occupancies need explicit management.
A dark kitchen or delivery-only operation carries most of the same kitchen fire risks with fewer obvious customers, and the employer duty is the same. The assessment has to cover the kitchen as the primary risk, even where there is no public dining area.
Where the premises uses LPG cylinders rather than mains gas, the storage, connection, and management of cylinders creates specific additional fire risk that the assessment must address explicitly.
The problems we
hear most often
Fire safety in a restaurant is often managed by the owner or manager between shifts. These are the gaps we find most regularly.
"Our kitchen extraction has never been properly cleaned, or the records are missing, and our insurer has asked about it at renewal."
Grease accumulation in commercial kitchen extraction ducting is one of the most common causes of serious restaurant fires, and most hospitality insurers now specifically ask about duct cleaning frequency and records at renewal. Missing or inadequate cleaning records can give an insurer grounds to challenge a fire claim. We review extraction records and suppression system maintenance as part of the fire risk assessment and flag what is missing.
"We have changed our kitchen layout, added equipment, or moved premises, and nobody has reviewed the fire risk assessment since."
A restaurant that has added a deep fat fryer, an outdoor kitchen, or a new pizza oven is a materially different fire risk from the one that was assessed. Each change to equipment or layout should trigger a review. We assess the kitchen and the premises as they currently exist, including every material change, rather than updating a document that no longer reflects reality.
"We are due a licensing visit, or we have had a fire authority improvement notice, and we need to get our documentation in order."
Restaurants and licensed food premises are inspected by the fire authority, and fire safety is a licensing objective under the Licensing Act 2003. A current, well-documented fire risk assessment is part of your licensing position and your response to an improvement notice. We produce documentation that satisfies both the fire authority and the licensing authority.
What makes restaurants
different to assess
A restaurant carries kitchen hazards that define the fire risk of the whole building, in a public space where people arrive without knowing the layout and leave throughout service.
The defining fire risk
A commercial kitchen combines high-temperature equipment, cooking oils, open flames, and grease accumulation in extraction ducting in a space where a fire can develop very quickly. The kitchen is the highest fire-risk area in any restaurant and needs individual assessment, not a generic approach.
Grease accumulation
Grease accumulates in extraction ducting from the moment a kitchen begins cooking, and a duct fire can spread rapidly through the building. Cleaning frequency, the use of cleaning contractors, and the retention of records are all part of the fire safety picture, and missing records expose the operator to both fire authority enforcement and insurance challenge.
Cylinders and open flame
Many restaurant kitchens use LPG for high-output burners, and some premises use LPG cylinders rather than mains gas. LPG storage, cylinder handling, and the management of leaks need specific assessment alongside the general kitchen fire risk.
Strangers who don't know the exits
Restaurant customers arrive throughout service, sit in unfamiliar surroundings, and may be focused on conversation rather than aware of their environment. Escape route visibility, signage, and the management of exits during a busy service need to work for people who have never been in the building before.
Furniture, service routes, and escape
Restaurant layouts often prioritise covers over circulation, and escape routes through dining areas can be compromised by furniture, a busy service, or a fire that starts in the kitchen and affects the only escape route available to diners. Layout and escape need assessing together.
Extended premises
Many restaurants now operate outdoor terraces, courtyard seating, or garden areas, sometimes with patio heaters, outdoor kitchens, or temporary structures. These areas are part of the premises and need to be included in the assessment, not treated as an afterthought.
Kitchen extraction cleaning — the record your insurer will look for first
Grease in commercial kitchen extraction ducting is the single most common cause of serious restaurant fires, and it is the first thing a loss adjuster looks for when a restaurant kitchen fire results in a substantial claim. Most restaurant insurers now require evidence of regular duct cleaning as a condition of cover, typically every six to twelve months depending on usage. We review your extraction cleaning records as part of the fire risk assessment, confirm whether the frequency is adequate for your kitchen usage, and flag where records are missing or overdue.
Three services.
One point of contact.
Fire risk assessments, fire door inspections, and fire safety training, delivered by one company that understands commercial kitchens and the restaurant environment.
Fire risk assessments
From £295 per assessmentA thorough assessment covering the kitchen, extraction and suppression, LPG where present, dining area layout, and any outdoor areas. Documentation suitable for the fire authority, licensing authority, and your insurer.
- Commercial kitchen and extraction assessed specifically
- Suppression system and duct cleaning records reviewed
- LPG storage and management covered
- Dining area layout and escape assessed together
- Outdoor areas and terraces included
- Documentation suitable for fire authority and insurer
Fire door inspections
From £14 per doorRestaurant fire doors protecting the kitchen, escape routes through dining areas, and final exits are under constant use and often damaged. We inspect every component and give you a clear, photographed condition record.
- Frame, leaf, intumescent seals, hinges & hardware
- Self-closing devices and smoke seals
- Kitchen, dining, and final exit doors
- Photographic evidence per door
- Prioritised remedial recommendations
Fire safety training
From £395 per sessionPractical fire safety training for kitchen and front-of-house staff, focused on the restaurant environment including kitchen fire response and evacuating a public dining room during service.
- Fire marshal training for kitchen and front-of-house
- Kitchen fire response and suppression system use
- Evacuating a dining room during service
- Hands-on extinguisher use on a live fire
- Certificates issued to all attendees
The framework
restaurants work within
A restaurant answers to the fire safety order, the licensing authority, and its insurer, with kitchen extraction and suppression records at the centre of all three.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to all restaurants, cafes, and food businesses as non-domestic premises to which members of the public have access. The Responsible Person must carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment covering the whole premises, including the kitchen, the dining area, any outdoor areas, and any storage. A generic assessment that does not address the kitchen specifically is not suitable and sufficient.
Under the Licensing Act 2003, fire safety is a licensing objective, and the fire authority is a responsible authority that can make representations at licence hearings. Where a restaurant has a premises licence for the sale of alcohol or late-night refreshment, fire safety is part of the licensing position and a current assessment supports the licence.
From an insurance perspective, most restaurant and hospitality policies require a current fire risk assessment and may include specific conditions on kitchen extraction duct cleaning frequency and suppression system maintenance. Missing extraction cleaning records are one of the most common grounds on which restaurant fire claims are challenged or reduced by insurers.
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Always appliesRequires a suitable and sufficient assessment covering the whole premises including the kitchen. A generic assessment not addressing kitchen hazards specifically is not adequate.
Kitchen extraction cleaning
Insurer requirementMost hospitality policies require evidence of regular duct cleaning. Missing records are one of the most common grounds on which restaurant fire claims are challenged.
Licensing Act 2003
Licensed premisesFire safety is a licensing objective. The fire authority can make representations at hearings. A current assessment supports your licence position.
Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
From January 2023Requires Responsible Persons to record fire safety measures, provide information to relevant persons, and maintain records of checks and actions.
Experience you can
put in a report.
Tim founded Fletcher Risk Management to bring genuine expertise and personal accountability to fire safety consultancy in the North West. With more than 30 years in the fire industry, he has assessed restaurants, cafes, and food businesses across the region. He understands commercial kitchens as the high-risk environments they are, and knows what extraction cleaning records, suppression systems, and documentation need to look like to satisfy a fire authority inspector and a loss adjuster. When you book with Fletcher Risk, Tim carries out the work.
- ABBE Level 4 Diploma in Fire Risk Assessment
- NEBOSH National General Certificate
- FPA Fire Safety Management Certificate
- Member — Fire Protection Association
Sam oversees operations and brings both fire safety qualifications and a legal background to the practice. For hospitality operators navigating licensing obligations or insurer requirements alongside fire safety law, Sam's LLB and operational background mean the documentation is framed to satisfy all three.
- ABBE Level 4 Certificate in Fire Risk Assessment
- Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
- Master of Business Administration (MBA)
- 10+ years fire safety experience
"We have engaged Fletcher Risk Management to carry out surveys on a number of our sites for a very important client. The work produced exceeded our expectations by far. I would definitely recommend using this company." — Marie Morgan · EIS Ltd ★★★★★
"Without doubt one of the best and most professional businesses I have used for our Fire Risk Assessment. Tim Fletcher is a highly regarded professional in his field. Don't take a chance — protect your staff, protect your building."
"We have engaged Fletcher Risk Management to carry out surveys on a number of our sites. I would never hesitate to send Tim — always professional, friendly and accommodating. The work exceeded our expectations."
"Thorough, professional, and excellent value. The report was clear and the action points prioritised in a way that made it easy to know exactly what to tackle first. Would recommend without hesitation."
Book an assessment
built for your restaurant.
Whether you need a fresh assessment, a review of your extraction and suppression records, or training for your kitchen and front-of-house team, we can help. Call us for an honest conversation with no obligation.