Grease Trap Installation for Turnips at Borough Market
Date Published
With a history spanning more than a thousand years, Borough Market in Southwark began as a medieval trading hub. Today, it stands as a world-renowned artisan food destination, attracting locals, tourists and connoisseurs alike. However, managing this busy and thriving space comes with unique challenges.
The combination of centuries-old infrastructure, intensive commercial cooking and complex geographic factors creates persistent challenges with fats, oils and grease (FOG). With more than a hundred food stalls, restaurants, pubs and commercial kitchens operating in the market and the surrounding SE1 food quarter, an extraordinary burden is placed on the local sewers maintained by Thames Water.
Supporting Turnips with grease management
To tackle this issue head-on, Turnips reached out to Grease Guru. Turnips is a premier fruit and vegetable provider famous for its signature offerings, including wild mushroom risotto, chocolate-covered strawberries, triple-cooked chips and fresh juices.
Their goal was twofold: to manage their own kitchen waste and to support Thames Water’s initiative to ensure environmental compliance across all market stallholders.
Why a passive grease separator was the right solution
After carrying out a survey, Grease Guru determined that a passive grease separator was the ideal solution for Turnips, making it more suitable than a mechanical grease recovery unit for several reasons.
Firstly, the kitchens have excellent gravity drainage. Secondly, the best location for the grease trap lacks electrical access; installing power would have required major, disruptive and costly modifications. Finally, because the kitchens operate at such high volumes, a straightforward, reliable solution with fewer moving mechanical parts perfectly suited the busy environment.
Monthly servicing and staff training
While passive systems are highly effective, they require consistent care, daily management and routine servicing — and Turnips fully embraced that responsibility. Grease Guru carries out a specialist monthly deep clean to keep the equipment running at peak performance.
Grease Guru also provided thorough staff training immediately after installation and will deliver refresher sessions after each monthly service, helping account for staff turnover and absences.
Checking performance after installation
As part of its rigorous quality assurance process, Grease Guru revisited the installation a week later. The inspection confirmed that the kitchen staff were carrying out their daily maintenance routine and that the unit was capturing a significant amount of FOG exactly as planned.
This follow-up also provided an opportunity to check that the daily routine was working in practice and answer any questions from the kitchen team.
A 135-litre grease trap for a busy commercial kitchen
The specific unit installed at Turnips is a high-specification NS1 135-litre grease trap. Compliant with BS EN 1825 standards, it features a double-sealed lid to minimise odours, an integrated food basket and durable stainless steel construction.
By installing this BS EN 1825-compliant passive grease separator in its high-traffic kitchen, Turnips is capturing waste at the source. Combined with daily maintenance and regular servicing, this proactive measure helps the business meet its responsibilities under the Water Industry Act 1991 and sets an excellent example for other Borough Market stakeholders.
Commercial grease trap installation and servicing
At Grease Guru, we provide grease trap installation and ongoing servicing for commercial kitchens across the UK. As the Turnips project demonstrates, selecting the right equipment means considering the drainage, available space, electrical access and daily demands of the kitchen.
Our servicing and maintenance programmes support the equipment after installation, while staff training helps kitchen teams carry out their daily responsibilities. Whether you require a new grease separator or support with an existing system, contact Grease Guru to discuss your requirements.
Kelvin Charles
Jul 14, 2026
Alex and the team at Grease Guru have been brilliant in assisting in diagnosing and resolving ongoing drainage and grease trap issues for us. It seems that with their advice we now have a workable solution in place that has improved things all round, and all done flexibly and quickly working around our schedule.
Laurence Barwick-Smith
Jan 16, 2025
Very knowledgeable team, always responding quickly to enquiries to keep projects moving. Fast, professional service, we will certainly work with them again in the future.
Emma Sykes
Dec 22, 2022
I contacted Grease Guru looking for advice, they promptly offered a free no commitment site survey to determine our requirements. The surveyor was very helpful and explained all our options. We were then given a detailed proposal which we confirmed was acceptable with the water authority before continuing. The traps were installed soon after and have been running great since.
Protect Your Commercial Kitchen with Planned Grease Trap Maintenance
Regular grease trap maintenance is one of the simplest ways to reduce drainage problems, improve operational efficiency and protect your commercial kitchen.
If you're looking for professional commercial grease trap maintenance anywhere in the UK, Grease Guru can help. Our experienced team provides nationwide grease trap cleaning, servicing and management solutions tailored to the needs of your business.
Frequently asked questions
Can a passive grease trap work in a busy commercial kitchen?
Yes. A correctly sized passive grease separator can be suitable for a busy commercial kitchen, provided it is properly installed and consistently maintained. At Turnips, the gravity drainage, installation location and commitment to daily maintenance made a passive system the right solution.
Does a commercial grease trap need an electrical supply?
A passive grease separator does not require an electrical supply for the separation process. At Turnips, this avoided the disruptive and costly modifications that would have been needed to provide power at the preferred installation location.
How often should a passive grease trap be cleaned and serviced?
The frequency depends on the equipment, the volume of wastewater and the amount of grease and food waste produced. Turnips carries out daily maintenance, supported by a specialist monthly deep clean from Grease Guru.
Do kitchen staff need training after a grease trap is installed?
Yes. Staff need to understand how to inspect the unit, remove captured waste and carry out the daily maintenance required for their equipment. Grease Guru provided training immediately after the Turnips installation, with refresher sessions arranged after each monthly service.
Will installing a grease trap make my kitchen compliant?
Installing suitable equipment is an important part of managing FOG, but it must also be used, cleaned and maintained correctly. At Turnips, the installation is supported by daily staff routines, monthly servicing and follow-up checks.
Who can install and service a grease trap for a London food business?
Grease Guru provides grease trap installation, servicing and maintenance for commercial kitchens in London and across the UK. Our team can assess the premises and recommend equipment suited to the kitchen’s drainage, layout and operational requirements.