Restaurant grease emergency

A restaurant grease emergency is an urgent response to grease (fats, oils and grease, FOG) blockage in restaurant drainage, with risk of kitchen closure and food safety enforcement. Common scenarios include saturated or unmaintained grease traps overflowing, grease deposits downstream blocking the main drain, and combined sewer surcharge backing up through kitchen gullies. Across Greater London, restaurant grease emergencies are common in food hotspots including Soho (Westminster), Camden, Shoreditch (Hackney) and Brick Lane. Before the engineer arrives, kitchen staff should stop all kitchen drainage use, contain any backup with absorbents, document the issue with photographs, and notify their Environmental Health Officer if food preparation is affected. The service includes high-pressure jetting to remove FOG deposits, grease trap emptying if saturated, CCTV survey to confirm clearance, and a written report. Trade effluent consent conditions apply.