Larder award will bolster excellence in safe food and drink manufacturer

Food and drink manufacturers in the region are set to benefit thanks to new accreditation awarded to Northumbria Larder.

Northumbria Larder’s technical support manager Sue Cresswell has become accredited in Level 4 Award in Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) in Management for Food Manufacturing, paving the way for the food and drink organisation to help members and potential members understand and meet legislation governing food production.

As well as promoting and supporting regional food and drink producers to increase sales and profitability, a key role of Northumbria Larder is ensuring members understand the importance of food safety and advising on best practice in safety management systems throughout the production stage.

Sue Cresswell said: “I am delighted to have the new HACCP management accreditation. It is a valuable weapon in the Larder’s training armoury to help our region’s food and drink producers meet mandatory legal requirements relating to food safety, which includes having a HACCP system in place - which by law producers large or small must have.

“We’ve all heard horror stories about the failure of hygiene in food establishments. This reinforces the importance of having a systematic approach to eliminating food safety hazards. One way to tackle this problem is to introduce a food safety management system based on HACCP principles which assesses each step in food manufacturing for potential food safety hazards and then introduces practices and procedures to eliminate or reduce the risk of these hazards occurring.”

Ms Cresswell, who plays an interfacing role with Larder members visiting producers and advising on technical and food safety legislation, added: “It can be extremely daunting for time-poor producers to put in place and manage the necessary systems required by the Food Standards Association.

“As holders of the HACCP Management accreditation in place, Northumbria Larder is qualified to help members set up systems for continuous improvement in food safety and become accredited themselves.”

Sandy Duncan, general manager of Northumbria Larder said: “The food safety culture is very high on the Government’s agenda right now. Food and drink producers must have HACCP safe working systems in place otherwise they run the risk of operating illegally.

“Safe food quite simply is better business. Northumbria Larder is able to offer qualified advice and support to members to help them put in place HACCP procedures laid down by the Food Standards Agency and to champion best practice in food safety.”

Bamburgh Castle has begun producing fudge made in the castle’s former Victorian Scullery and sold in the castle and selected retails outlets. Grazia Calvert and Rosanne Sprot, who make the 70 kilos and 12 varieties of fudge produced each week, have taken part in food safety training and benefitted from technical support provided by Northumbria Larder.

Mrs Calvert, whose husband Chris Calvert is director at Bamburgh Castle where they live with their sons Wallace, 13, and Otello, 14, said: “It doesn’t matter how much experience you have or how long you have been working in kitchens there’s always something you can learn that makes what you are doing even better.

“It is good to upgrade yourself, update your skills and make yourself more aware of food safety for manufacturing. It doesn’t matter how long you have you have been doing it for, you can pick up little tips on how to improve.

Mrs Sprot, who also lives in the castle with her husband Robert, the castle’s groundsman and their son Alex, aged eight, added: “A lot of the training and advice refreshes what you already know – and a lot of it is common sense. The training has been very worthwhile as it brings to the fore what you need to put into practice."