So, the time has finally come. After much ‘deliberating, cogitating and digesting’ (as Lloyd Grossman used to say on Masterchef), we have pleasure in revealing the winners of the 3rd Verner Wheelock Excellence Awards. They have been chosen from nominations by our course tutors and as ever it has been a very difficult decision to make.

Awards recognise excellence

The Awards recognise the hard work, enthusiasm and flair of our delegates and their respective companies. All individual winners attended our classroom-based courses here in Skipton during 2017. All have achieved outstanding grades in advanced level exams.

There were  5 awards up for grabs: HACCP, Food Safety, Auditing, Company Excellence and Individual Excellence.

So, without further ado, the winners of the 2017 Verner Wheelock Excellence Awards are:

HACCP Student of the Year – Nattakan Pinyopat, Warburtons

Food Safety Student of the Year – Kerrie Borthwick, Loch Fyne Oysters Ltd

Auditing Student of the Year – Julie Ryan, CSM Bakeries

Individual Excellence Award – Brandon Green, Ornua Ingredients

Company Excellence Award – Shepherds Purse Cheeses

As well as receiving a trophy, the winners also get a voucher for £250 against any future classroom or in-house training with Verner Wheelock. The winner of the Company Excellence Award receives a voucher for £500.

Previous  winners have included delegates from PAS Grantham, F Smales & Sons, Symingtons, pladis and Harper Green School. Also Bakkavor Desserts, Taylors of Harrogate, New Ivory and Sykes House Farm.

Verner Wheelock MD, Alison Wheelock said, “There are always certain people  attending our courses who stand out as being exceptional. The Verner Wheelock Excellence Awards are a great way of recognising these talents. Our delegates continue to achieve excellent examination results and we’re very fortunate that we have  longstanding relationships with so many companies within this industry. Huge congratulations to all our winners! “

We will be posting pictures of the winners with their awards in the next few weeks, so watch this space!

November has been extremely busy at Verner Wheelock, with all levels of Auditing and HACCP courses taking place in Skipton as well as the TACCP workshop, CIEH Training the Trainer and the first day of the Level 4 Food Safety course.

As always, there have been several in-house courses at sites across the UK (a very cost-effective option if you have more than a couple of staff to train), with TACCP, BRC7 Updates and refresher training being the flavour of the month this time.

Results

We’ve had some excellent results this month in both open and in-house courses.

Well done to all those who have passed their exams with FDQ and RSPH. The FDQ Lead Auditor course in Skipton in November was of a very high standard this time, with 7 of the 11 delegates achieving a Distinction. Top students Helen Keast, Raw Material Manager at Bakkavor Desserts, and Verner Wheelock trainer Eleanor Nicholls scored a fantastic 98% in the written exam. There were also some great scores on the recent in-house Lead Auditor course at Warburton’s (love the new Giant Crumpet Show advert, by the way!).

We have also had great results in recent RSPH Level 2 Foundation Certificate in HACCP courses with several students in Skipton and on an in-house course at Del Monte scoring 19 or 20 out if 20!

Well done everyone!

Staff news

Welcome to Karen Naylor and Claire Lennon (welcome back) who have joined Verner Wheelock as Business Development Executives this month, and a sad goodbye to Carole Dickason who is leaving after 5 years in a variety of roles.  Read more here.

Well done to Jason Kearton on passing his driving test! Lets hope he finds a suitable car soon so that getting the train and bus to work are all in the past!

Also, happy 77th birthday to our founder and Chairman, Dr Verner Wheelock on 29th November.

December offers

Look out for our email offers coming through every week until Christmas.

There will be discounts on Auditing, HACCP and Food Safety courses throughout December so make sure you make good use of these offers and book your 2016 training now!

January 2016 courses

Don’t forget, any 2016 open or in-house courses booked by 31st December 2015 are charged at 2015 prices.

6th January: BRC 7 Update course
7th January:  TACCP Workshop
11 – 14th January: Level 4 Award in HACCP for Food Manufacturing
18 – 19th January: Level 3 Award in HACCP for Food Manufacturing
25 – 28th January: FDQ Lead Auditor

See further 2016 dates here

To book, please call Claire or Karen on 01756 700802 or visit the main website www.vwa.co.uk

First it was Jamie Oliver with his mission to improve school dinners. Now the Hairy Bikers are on a crusade to revive and improve the Meals on Wheels service by encouraging cooks to ditch dried and frozen foods and prepare fresh, tasty meals instead. They kicked off a new service two years ago in Surrey and Yorkshire and recently were back on TV revisiting the volunteers and recipients.

In our opinion, actions such as this should be applauded since they not only bring communities closer together, but they ensure that the elderly are receiving at least one hot, nutritious meal per week. And as we know, good nutrition is particularly important for older people.

Healthy food = healthier people

Several studies have shown that the correct diet, suitable hydration and light exercise amongst the elderly can make them feel more alert, reduce the number of infections and colds, aid digestion and reduce the need for laxatives. If you’re in charge of planning meals for senior citizens, it’s worth bearing in mind that many are deficient in Vitamin C, Folic Acid, Vitamin D, Iron and Calcium. Foods that have been proven to help combat these deficiencies include yellow and orange fruit and vegetables, green leafy vegetables, oily fish, pulses, red meat, liver, wholemeal bread, eggs and dairy products.

Make sure the food you prepare and share is safe

Not only do you need to ensure that you are providing a healthy balanced diet, you need to be sure that the food you’re providing has been prepared safely. With the exception of the local pub chef, who cooked meals for the Golcar (Huddersfield) Meals on Wheels service, all other meals were cooked and delivered by volunteers – some almost as old as those they were delivering to!

Whether you’re being paid to provide a service or you’re a volunteer, if what you do involves handling or preparing food and serving it to the public, you need to make sure that you have undergone basic food safety and hygiene training.

Basic food safety training is essential

Earlier this year we provided Level 2 Food Safety training to members of South Parade Baptist Church in Leeds. They run regular retired persons’ lunches, drop-in evenings for homeless men and women, student lunches and also provide catering for under-fives. It was therefore essential to them that they knew how to avoid cross-contamination and were able to prepare and store food in line with industry guidelines.

In this instance, because there were a number of volunteers and some were elderly, VWA provided training in-house. However, we also offer the same Level 2 course  and a Level 3 Food Safety course online, which means that everyone can learn at their own pace – this flexibility is particularly useful if, like the Meals on Wheels teams we saw on TV, you have a full-time job.

On completion of the online Level 2 Food Safety course, you will have an understanding of a wide range of key food safety issues, including the three main types of food safety hazard – physical, chemical and microbiological, their sources and methods of control. Plus there is the added bonus that if you decide to take up catering full-time, you will already have the basic food safety qualification.

The prospect of an unannounced audit is likely to put the fear of God into some food manufacturers. However, like it or not, unannounced audits are on the increase.

Supermarket giant Asda is the first of the major retailers to set the ball rolling by insisting that its suppliers have unannounced BRC audits, starting from 1st October this year. The audits will cover the entire supply chain and any supplier that does not agree to be audited in this way will no longer achieve Asda technical approval.

Up until Asda’s announcement in July, BRC unannounced audits were voluntary but a successful audit could lead to coveted A+ status for a site, the highest grade available. Generally speaking audits take place on an agreed date which is roughly 12 months from the last audit date. This gives the company involved plenty of notice to make sure all documentation is up-to-date, members of staff are briefed, the premises and equipment are up to approved standards and the Technical Manager and other senior managers are present.

Two options are available for unannounced audits

As the name suggests, an unannounced audit can take place at any time and inspection of the premises will take place within 30 minutes of the auditor’s arrival. Companies registering for unannounced audits must have BRC certificates with Grades of A+, A, B+ or B. There are two options available to them:

Option 1: the entire audit is conducted unannounced and can take place any time from 3 to 12 months of the audit due date. Typically it occurs within the last 4 months of the certification cycle. i.e. if your last audit was in January, then you could expect an unannounced audit to take place from September onwards.

Option 2: The audit is split into two parts with the first part, which covers GMP and production areas, being unannounced.  The second part is announced and is an audit of the company’s systems and documentation.

Detailed information on BRC Unannounced Audit Programmes including notification and common questions and answers, such as what to expect and what happens if your company usually has combined audits with more than one certification scheme, can be found here.

Surprise audits should be viewed as an opportunity

Given the choice, most of us would rather know when an auditor will be paying us a visit. But those who know that they operate to a high standard on a daily basis should have nothing to fear. Rather than viewing it as a nuisance, an unannounced audit should be seen as an opportunity to demonstrate confidence in your company’s systems and procedures. Plus, unannounced audits carry a ‘+’ sign after the grading e.g. ‘A+’ so that customers are aware that your BRC certification was awarded following an unannounced audit – giving them further reassurance.

Make sure you’re ready for your next audit – announced or unannounced

Knowledge is power! Knowing what to expect from an audit allows you to prepare for the real thing by giving you the skills and understanding to conduct your own internal audits at regular intervals.  VWA’s Auditing Skills course  is a highly interactive 2-day course which takes you through the entire audit process of carrying out your own internal audit from the opening meeting to reporting and corrective actions. It comprises 4 sections:

1. Understanding the development, application and importance of auditing;
2. How to undertake an audit; Evaluation and reporting of results;
3. Putting the theory into practice;
4. Group exercises including role play and industry case studies.

Other training providers often cover the subject of Internal Auditing in a day, but we feel that our 2-day course which allows time for group exercises and role play on Day 2 ensures delegates have the confidence to go back to work and carry out an effective audit of their systems.

The course has recently been approved by awarding body FDQ and now leads to the FDQ Certificate in Auditing Skills. Therefore, delegates attending this course  and passing the multiple choice exam at the end of Day 2 will now receive a certificate from a nationally recognised awarding body.

The next Auditing Skills courses take place on 14^th – 15^th September and 6^th – 7^th November. For more information and a booking form, please click here.

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) is an internationally-recognised food safety management system for ensuring product safety and is used for the prevention of product safety incidents. It doesn’t replace good hygiene practices or existing documentation, but it is most effective when built on this foundation. A successful HACCP plan is also dependent on an established pre-requisites programme and positive employee engagement across the board.

Is HACCP a legal requirement?

So if you already have food safety practices in place, why bother with a HACCP plan? Well, firstly it is a legal requirement if you are a large company producing food for sale and consumption. Every major food retailer insists on HACCP management throughout the food chain because they want to be certain that the food they are selling to their customers has been produced under strict controls to ensure safety, particularly if it is an own brand product exhibiting their label.

HACCP identifies and addresses food safety hazards

Having a HACCP plan in place enables you to identify Critical Control Points during the production process i.e. steps at which control of microbiological, physical, chemical or allergenic hazards is needed in order to reduce it to acceptable levels. For example, control measures such as heating to 70°C or above to destroy pathogenic bacteria; sieving or using metal detectors, temperature control etc. This systematic step-by-step process produces a documented system which increases confidence from those buying your products and demonstrates management commitment to safe food practices.

Effective cost control and demonstrates due diligence

HACCP is also an effective cost and resource control system. Since every point at which a potential hazard could occur is covered it means less wastage and rework and when implemented effectively, should prevent product recalls on food safety grounds. In the event of an investigation or an audit, a well maintained and up-to-date HACCP plan is a Due Diligence Defence. In other words it will demonstrate that you have taken all reasonable precautions and exercised all due diligence to avoid a breach of food safety and hygiene laws.

HACCP monitoring and review

To ensure that your HACCP plan is effective you will need to monitor and review it regularly. It is absolutely essential to keep the plan up-to-date. Production lines can be changed and products can be re-formulated and so the HACCP plan must also be updated. Even something as seemingly insignificant as reducing the amount of fat or sugar in order to produce a ‘healthier’ product can affect food safety if the effects have not been considered.

HACCP training courses in Yorkshire

We offer a variety of HACCP courses from Level 2 HACCP training for operatives to Level 3 HACCP and Level 4 HACCP training courses for HACCP team members, supervisors and technical managers. Plus our 1-day HACCP  Refresher training course. For details of all our HACCP training courses visit www.vwa.co.uk/courses/haccp/haccp-courses.php

View our latest training calendar here