Welcome to the January 2015 news review from Verner Wheelock
There was lots of snow and ice in Yorkshire during January but we stayed open, and almost all delegates made it to our courses in Skipton during the adverse weather conditions – including delegates from as far afield as Scotland and London! The scenery around Broughton Hall is even more spectacular than usual in the snow so it is well worth a visit during the winter.
The weather didn’t hold us back, and we were extremely busy with in-house enquiries & bookings during January which just goes to show that if you are planning an in-house course in the next three months, please do get in touch NOW!
The only slight drawback has been that Verner Wheelock staff member Carole Dickason had a fall on the ice at home and has broken her wrist. We all wish her well and hope to see her back at work soon!
January also saw a number of celebrity visitors to Broughton including the Top Gear team who were here filming for an episode to be aired in March. The sound of Clarkson’s, Hammond’s and May’s battered 4x4s reverberated around Stable Courtyard as they were kept in the garages underneath our training room during their stay. Also, as part of a Landrover promotional launch, James Martin was seen barbecuing burgers on the Estate (hope they were cooked through!), while Pixie Lott provided the entertainment!
Lots of good results – Distinctions all round!
We’ve received some excellent exam results during January and here are just a few of them:
- 2 Distinctions on the FDQ Supplier Auditing course
- 7 Distinctions on FDQ Auditing Skills course
- 9 Distinctions on the Level 3 HACCP course with one delegate achieving full marks!
- Also, several distinctions on recent Level 4 HACCP courses which is very rare as candidates have to achieve over 80% on both exam papers.
Yorkshire Food Revolution Dinner
Several Verner Wheelock staff and their friends attended a dinner organised by Dr Verner Wheelock in conjunction with Malcolm Weaving of Rendezvous hotel in Skipton and Chris Wildman, Yorkshire food champion. The meal was a tasting menu of 7 different courses based on the Banting diet which is similar in many ways to the Atkins diet or a low carb, high fat diet. There were some interesting combinations including sweet potato, honey and blue cheese in one dish, watermelon soup and a dessert of pears poached in a Yorkshire red wine. The ingredients were introduced before each course by Chris who explained their provenance.
The evening went really well and was topped off by a Q & A session with Dr Wheelock. It is hoped this may be a regular event on the Rendezvous calendar in future.
**New for 2015**
New for 2015 is our Level 4 Food Safety Refresher course on 23rd April (full details to follow soon). This course is ideal for those who have taken their Level 4/Advanced Food Safety over three years ago and need to refresh their knowledge.
Also we organised a very successful labelling workshop for a design agency in Leeds with consultant Gill Eames. This course can also be tailored to your exact requirements whether you are a manufacturer or a design agency – to help you and your staff get up to speed with the new labelling regulations. We can also offer a label checking service to help you ensure that existing label designs can easily be updated to comply with the legislation. Contact us to discuss your labelling requirements.