Hospitality sites give plug-in equipment a harder life than almost anywhere else. Kitchen flexes get dragged over hot surfaces and sit in a permanent haze of grease, bar equipment lives next to sinks and spilled drinks, and the cellar stays cold and damp all year. Add sixteen-hour opening days and staff who change regularly, and the same appliance wears out faster than it would in an office.
What gets tested, and what belongs on an EICR instead
The split matters because it decides what a testing visit can and cannot cover. A six-burner range on a dedicated circuit, a three-phase combi oven wired into an isolator, a walk-in chiller and the extraction canopy are all part of the fixed installation. They are inspected under BS 7671 as part of an Electrical Installation Condition Report, not by PAT testing. Anything that plugs in comes to us: microwaves, stick blenders, food processors, mixers, vac packers, water baths, undercounter fridges and freezers, hand blenders, kettles, toasters and the small counter-top kit that quietly multiplies in every kitchen.
Some larger catering equipment sits in between, connected through a 16A or 32A industrial connector rather than being hardwired. That is still connected equipment that can be unplugged, so it can be inspected and tested, but it needs a tester set up for three-phase work. It is worth flagging that kit when you book, because a standard single-phase tester will not cover it.
The bar, the cellar and the beer garden
Front of house tends to get forgotten because nothing there looks industrial. EPOS terminals, card readers, printers, bottle coolers, glass washers on a plug, ice machines, blenders, music systems and the extension leads tucked behind the till all count. In the cellar you have the beer cooler, cellar buoy, python pumps and often a dehumidifier, all running in conditions that corrode plug pins and earth connections. Outside, festoon lighting, patio heaters and anything used for events in a marquee or courtyard is exposed to rain and gets moved constantly, which puts it near the top of the risk list rather than the bottom.
If you have letting rooms above the bar, the guest kettles, hairdryers, TVs and bedside lamps are used by people who did not buy them and will not report a frayed lead. The same approach we use for guest accommodation applies there: test everything a guest can touch, and check the plug tops as carefully as the appliance.
Equipment you do not own
Pubs in particular run a lot of borrowed kit. Fruit machines, jukeboxes, coffee machines on loan from the bean supplier, cash machines and vending units are often owned and maintained by someone else. Who tests them should be set out in the supply agreement, and in practice the supplier usually does it. What you need is a copy of their records in your file, because the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 place duties on you for electrical systems used at your workplace. If nobody can produce a record for the machine in the corner, that gap sits with you.
How often is often enough
There is no legal test interval. Regulation 4(2) of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 requires electrical systems to be maintained so as to prevent danger, and HSE guidance leaves the frequency to a risk assessment. The 5th edition of the IET Code of Practice went further and removed the old frequency table that appeared in the 4th edition, so the answer now comes from the environment, the type of equipment and how it is used. Commercial kitchens sit at the harsh end of that scale, and most operators we work with settle on annual combined inspection and testing for kitchen, cellar and outdoor equipment, with user checks built into opening or closing routines. Office and till equipment that stays put can usually run longer between formal tests.
Why kitchen appliances fail
Failures in hospitality follow patterns. Flexes get crushed under wheeled units or scorched against hot metal, grease softens the outer sheath until the cores show, and moisture works into heating elements so that insulation resistance drops year on year. Plugs get rewired in a hurry by whoever is on shift, with the wrong fuse or a loose cord grip. Extension leads get daisy-chained behind a bar and loaded well past their rating. None of that shows up on a visual glance from across the room, which is why the combined test matters alongside the inspection.
One thing a PAT test does not cover is microwave radiation leakage. That check came out of the Code of Practice in 2012, and for commercial ovens it is tested against BS EN 60335-2-90 using a proper survey meter. If you want it done, ask for it as a separate item rather than assuming it comes with the appliance test.
Fitting a visit around service
Everything has to be unplugged, cool and powered down to be tested, so a kitchen cannot be done mid-service. Early mornings before prep, the gap between lunch and evening service, or a closed day all work better. A small café or a single-bar pub often fits into an hour, from £50. A full pub with kitchen, cellar, beer garden and letting rooms is usually a half day from £125 or a full day from £250, depending on the count. We cover sites across Chesterfield and north Derbyshire from here, and the York branch handles the same work across York and North Yorkshire.
You should end up with an asset register listing every item, its location, its test date and its result, plus a written record of anything that failed and what happened to it. That register is what an insurer asks for after a fire, and it is what tells you which appliance is due next without walking the building to read labels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is PAT testing a legal requirement for pubs and restaurants?
There is no law that names PAT testing, but the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require electrical systems and equipment at work to be maintained so as to prevent danger, and the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 places duties on employers towards staff and customers. Inspection and testing is the usual way hospitality businesses show they have met that duty. Insurers and environmental health officers commonly ask to see the records, so a written asset register matters as much as the testing itself.
Do hardwired ovens and three-phase catering equipment need PAT testing?
Equipment permanently wired into the building, such as a range on a dedicated circuit or a combi oven fed through an isolator, is part of the fixed installation and is covered by an Electrical Installation Condition Report to BS 7671 rather than PAT testing. Larger equipment connected through a 16A or 32A industrial plug can be inspected and tested, but it needs a tester capable of three-phase work. Tell your tester in advance which items are plug-connected three-phase so they bring the right kit.
How often should commercial kitchen equipment be PAT tested?
No interval is set in law, and the 5th edition of the IET Code of Practice removed the old frequency table in favour of a risk-based judgement. Kitchens are a harsh environment because of heat, grease, moisture and heavy handling, so annual combined inspection and testing is a common choice for kitchen, cellar and outdoor equipment. Lower-risk items like till terminals and office equipment that never move can often go longer between formal tests.
Who is responsible for PAT testing a leased coffee machine or fruit machine?
It depends on the supply agreement, and in most cases the owner of the machine arranges the testing. As the occupier you still have duties under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 for equipment in use on your premises, so ask the supplier for a copy of their test record and keep it with your own paperwork. If nobody can produce a record for a machine on your floor, treat it as untested.
Does a PAT test check microwave radiation leakage?
No. Microwave leakage testing was removed from the IET Code of Practice in 2012 and is not part of a standard appliance test. For commercial microwaves it is a separate check made against BS EN 60335-2-90 using a calibrated survey meter, so ask for it specifically if you want it included.