Fire & Security Systems for Restaurants in London
Kitchens, cellars, extraction runs and full dining rooms — restaurants carry more fire risk per square metre than almost any other commercial premises. Astoria Fire & Security designs, installs and maintains compliant fire alarm systems, kitchen fire protection, CCTV and access control for restaurants, bars and hospitality venues across London.
Why Restaurants Need Specialist Fire Protection
Commercial kitchens combine naked flames, hot oil, grease-laden ductwork and a full house of guests who do not know the building. A generic office fire alarm specification will not cover it — and it will not satisfy your fire risk assessment, your insurer or your local fire authority.
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Cooking & hot oil
Deep fat fryers, chargrills and flambé work are the leading cause of restaurant fires in the UK. Detection must be heat-based, correctly sited and paired with the right extinguishing media.
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Grease in extraction ducting
Grease build-up in canopies and duct runs spreads fire between floors and voids. Detection and suppression need to follow the duct route, not just the kitchen ceiling.
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Open-plan & basement dining
Mezzanines, basement bars and open kitchens remove natural compartmentation. Systems must be zoned so staff know instantly where an alarm has originated.
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Guests, staff turnover & noise
Unfamiliar guests, seasonal staff and loud service require clear sounder coverage, visual alarm devices and evacuation procedures your team can actually follow.
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False alarms cost covers
Steam, toast and smoke from the pass trigger unnecessary evacuations. Correct detector selection and cause-and-effect programming protect your service and your revenue.
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Licensing & inspections
Premises licences, EHO visits and insurance renewals all ask for current certification. Missing service records are the most common reason restaurants fail an inspection.
Fire & Security Services for London Restaurants
One accredited contractor for every system your premises has to keep certified — designed for hospitality operations, single sites and multi-site groups alike.
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01
Fire Alarm Installation
Addressable and conventional fire detection systems designed to BS 5839-1 for kitchens, dining areas, cellars and back of house.
- Category L1–L5 & P1/P2 design
- Heat detection for cooking areas
- Zoning, cause & effect programming
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02
Fire Alarm Maintenance & Servicing
Six-monthly servicing and call-outs scheduled before opening or after last covers, with full certification issued each visit.
- Planned preventative servicing
- Fault finding & system repair
- Digital logbook & certificates
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03
Fire Risk Assessments
Independent fire risk assessments for restaurants, written to satisfy the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and your insurer.
- Significant findings & action plan
- Occupancy & escape route review
- Annual review scheduling
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04
Kitchen Extinguishers & Suppression
Correct extinguishing media for every risk — wet chemical for fryers, CO₂ for electrical, fire blankets at the range — supplied and serviced to BS 5306.
- Wet chemical, CO₂, foam & water mist
- Annual service & extended testing
- Signage & staff familiarisation
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05
CCTV for Restaurants & Bars
HD CCTV systems covering tills, entrances, delivery doors and cellars — with remote viewing for owners and area managers.
- Till, bar & stockroom coverage
- Remote mobile viewing
- GDPR-conscious siting & signage
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Access Control & Intruder Alarms
Access control and intruder alarms that keep back of house, offices, cellars and staff areas secure without slowing service down.
- Fob & keypad staff entry
- Cellar, office & stock protection
- Monitored intruder detection
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Extinguisher checksAnnual service, tagged and certified to BS 5306 -
Detection & alarm panelsZoned coverage from kitchen to dining room -
Scheduled maintenanceServiced before doors open, certified same day
What UK Fire Legislation Requires of Your Restaurant
If you own, manage or operate a restaurant in England, you are the Responsible Person. That duty is personal, and enforcement is active across London boroughs. Here is what your premises is measured against.
- Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005A suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, recorded in writing, kept current and acted upon.
- Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022Additional duties on record keeping, information sharing and, in mixed-use buildings, cooperation with residential responsible persons.
- BS 5839-1Design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of commercial fire detection and alarm systems — including six-monthly servicing.
- BS 5306Provision, commissioning and annual servicing of portable fire extinguishers, including wet chemical units for cooking oils.
- Licensing & insurance conditionsCurrent certification for alarms, extinguishers and emergency lighting, produced on request for EHO and insurer inspections.
From Survey to Certification — Without Losing a Service
We plan installations and servicing around your covers, deliveries and licensing hours, so your kitchen keeps running.
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Free site survey
An engineer reviews your kitchen, dining areas, cellar and escape routes and identifies gaps.
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System design
A written specification and fixed-price quotation, sized to your premises and category of cover.
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Installation
Clean, out-of-hours installation with cabling routed to protect your finishes and front of house.
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Commissioning
Testing, cause-and-effect verification, staff handover and BS-compliant certification issued.
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Ongoing maintenance
Scheduled servicing, remote support and 24/7 call-out so you stay certified year-round.
“We are a hospitality group in London and we have been working with Lee, Fraser and the team for several years. Very professional, good value and responsive when you need them.” Bachir NebiaThe Culpeper / The Buxton, London
Trusted by London Restaurants, Bars and Hospitality Groups
Astoria has protected hospitality venues across Central London for over 15 years — from single-site independents in Clerkenwell to members' clubs, hotel restaurants and multi-site groups in Mayfair, Soho and the City.
- Fine dining restaurants
- Bars & late-night venues
- Hotel restaurants
- Members' clubs
- Cafés & bakeries
- Dark kitchens
- Pubs & gastropubs
- Multi-site groups
- 15+Years protecting commercial premises in London
- 61Google reviews, rated Excellent
- BAFEAccredited fire protection specialists
- 24/7Emergency engineer call-out cover
Restaurant Fire Safety — Your Questions Answered
What fire alarm system does a restaurant need in the UK?
Most restaurants require an addressable fire alarm system designed to BS 5839-1, with heat detectors in cooking areas and smoke detection in dining rooms, corridors and escape routes. The exact category — commonly L2 or L3 for life protection — is determined by your fire risk assessment, your building layout and whether there is sleeping accommodation above.
How often must a restaurant fire alarm be serviced?
British Standards recommend a competent-person service at least every six months, plus a weekly in-house call point test recorded in your fire logbook. Insurers and licensing authorities routinely ask to see those records, so we issue certification after every visit.
Which fire extinguishers are required in a commercial kitchen?
Commercial kitchens typically need wet chemical extinguishers for deep fat fryers and cooking oils, CO₂ for electrical equipment, a fire blanket at the range, and water or foam units in front of house. All portable extinguishers must be commissioned and serviced annually to BS 5306.
Do I need a fire risk assessment for my restaurant?
Yes. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 every restaurant needs a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, and it must be recorded in writing. It should be reviewed annually and after any refurbishment, change of layout or change of use.
Can you install a fire alarm without closing the restaurant?
In almost all cases, yes. We phase installation and servicing work around your trading hours — early mornings, after last covers, or on closure days — and isolate zones rather than the whole system so you remain protected while works are in progress.
Which areas of London do you cover?
We work across Greater London from our Clerkenwell base, including the City, Westminster, Camden, Islington, Hackney, Southwark, Shoreditch, Mayfair, Soho and Canary Wharf, with engineers on call 24/7.
Book Your Free Restaurant Fire Safety Survey
Find out exactly where your premises stands before an inspector, an insurer or an incident does. A qualified Astoria engineer will survey your restaurant and give you a clear, written picture of what compliance requires — with no obligation to proceed.
Prefer to talk it through? Call 020 7099 5552 or email info@astoriafiresec.com
Restaurant fire & security services across London
Clerkenwell · City of London · Shoreditch · Islington · Camden · Westminster · Mayfair · Soho · Covent Garden · Fitzrovia · Marylebone · Chelsea · Kensington · Notting Hill · Hackney · Southwark · Bermondsey · Battersea · Canary Wharf · Greenwich · Hammersmith · Wandsworth · Richmond · Stratford