Wow! 2016 already! We’d like to start this post by wishing you all a very happy new year and thanking everyone who’s attended one or more of our courses in the past year.
Our 2016 courses kick off this week with the BRC v7 Update and TACCP – both courses which have proven extremely popular in 2015 and places are already filling up for the various dates in 2016 – check out our calendar for more details.
A great start for the Business Development Team
Claire and Karen, our new Business Development Executives, have only been with us since the beginning of November (of course, many of you will already know Claire from before) but they ended the year on a real high by beating their targets and having made/rekindled some very good relationships with our customers in the process. The last two courses of 2015, Level 4 Food Safety and Auditing Skills, were well attended and then the following week it was time for the work Christmas meal.
Verner W
heelock Christmas dinner
As per last year this took place at The Tempest Arms – a place we highly recommend, not only for the excellent character but for the plates groaning with delicious food. Once again we were not disappointed. If only we’d thought on to book a few bedrooms to sleep it off!
Carole, who left us in November, joined in the fun and of course Jan, Verner and Kathryn Wheelock were also there looking resplendent in their Christmas jumpers. Normally at Christmas we do a ‘Secret Santa’ but this year Jodie suggested that instead of buying each other presents we should each buy a toy for the Candlelighters children’s cancer charity appeal, which we all did. A much better idea!
Keeping our heads above water
We’re sure you will have seen the reports of severe flooding across parts of Yorkshire. Thankfully the Broughton Estate where we’re based seems to have escaped (mainly). We’re also fortunate that the Verner Wheelock offices and training centre are based on the upper two floors of the building, so that should the worst ever happen we should be OK – although delegates might have to swim to the door…
Who’s won the Verner Wheelock Excellence Awards?
Around this time last year, we announced that we were launching the Verner Wheelock Excellence Awards, to coincide with our 25th anniversary. So over the past 12 months we have been taking note of those candidates who have demonstrated the greatest enthusiasm for the subject or shown the most improvement, as well as those achieving great results in their examinations. There are 5 categories of award up for grabs: Best HACCP Student, Best Auditing Student, Best Food Safety Student, Award for Individual Excellence and the Award for Company Excellence.
We’ve had some really outstanding candidates in the past year, so the decision by our course tutors has been a really tough one. However we have now decided on the winners, so watch this space to find out who they are.
Don’t forget to use your discount voucher!
Many of you have benefited from our advent campaigns throughout December, giving discounts on 2016 courses if booked by 31st December 2015. Regrettably we have had to raise our prices slightly for 2016, but we hope you’ll agree that we still offer excellent value for money. Remember, if you have already attended a course, you will have received a voucher for 10% off your next course with us – so don’t forget to mention this when you book.
Courses are already filling up fast, so book early to avoid disappointment. January is really busy with many courses full or almost full, plus we have bookings for 14 in-house courses the same month – we like to keep our tutors on their toes!
Don’t forget that most of our courses can be run in-house at your premises – it’s often a very cost-effective and practical option if you have 5 or more people who require training.
Find out more about the food industry courses on offer or give Claire a call on 01756 700802.