Valor Services Group supports health, hygiene and fire safety in kitchens

Valor Services Group is a trusted partner for professional cleaning and pest control, including for the hospitality sector. Indeed, that setting requires expertise and a thorough approach. "The professional kitchen in restaurants and hotels has specific challenges," stresses CEO Thierry Desmet. "Many catering entrepreneurs are insufficiently aware of the invisible risks. As a proactive cleaning company, we are happy to support them."

No complete hospitality experience without good food and drink. It is therefore logical that hotels and restaurants pay more and more attention to their cuisine. Yet certain aspects are underestimated and therefore insufficiently addressed. Based on years of expertise and with a wide range of services, Valor Services Group is happy to highlight these points of interest. Soon at the Horeca Expo and already now in Hotelvak.

Cold rooms are indispensable in professional kitchens, to keep food safe and optimal. Unfortunately, these humid environments are also favoured by mould, which often settles in the cooling fans. "The food is usually well covered or packaged, so for customers this is not so much of a problem. What is often forgotten is that it is also a risk for employees," stresses Thierry Desmet, CEO of Valor Services Group. "They walk in and out of the cold store, breathing potentially unhealthy air. Fortunately, by cleaning the evaporators frequently, you immediately eliminate that risk."

That the kitchen should be clean goes without saying. However, a visually clean kitchen can still be dirty, in invisible places. Behind and under heavy appliances, for example. Thierry: "Owners themselves are sometimes amazed by the hidden dirt in their professional kitchen when you show it to them. An annual deep cleaning is not an unnecessary luxury. Depending on the type of kitchen, use, number of kitchen staff and so on, interim smaller cleanings may be desirable." Having regular deep cleaning in the kitchen keeps everything hygienic even in less accessible places and keeps pests out. So you serve guests smoothly and food safely.

A less obvious service that Valor Services Group supports its customers with is fire safety. In the kitchen, this manifests itself in the cleaning of cooker hoods and extractor systems. This is because residual grease in extractor hood systems poses a fire risk. Many owners have them cleaned because they need a certificate for fire insurance. "A wrong mindset," thinks Thierry. "You have to do such cleaning because you want to commit to a fire-safe building. In fact, the Codex states very clearly that combustibles must be removed frequently for a fire-safe situation. Such a cleaning is mandatory at least annually. As a matter of fact, EN15780 will be updated in 2025. The standards for cleaning air ventilation systems, such as kitchen ventilation, and their reporting will become stricter. By working with an accredited party, as a professional you can be sure of a correct, thorough cleaning and therefore a fire-safe result. Companies with such accreditation can be consulted at EVHA.eu."

With Kitchen KARE, Valor Services Group offers a complete maintenance package for commercial kitchens in the hospitality industry. With a professional approach and according to the rules of the art. "For instance, since the beginning of September it has been compulsory to have all professional cleaning activities registered via Checkin@Work. If this does not happen and you have checks, you risk a fine as a client too. So choose a correct and accurate partner. We are already eager to get started," concludes Thierry.

Want to know more about these or other services from Valor Services Group? You can visit us at stand 8721 during Horeca Expo.