During a peak period for British Retail Consortium (BRC) Global Standard for Food Safety audits, we have been spending a lot of time with companies helping to ensure their staff are equipped to spot any potential issues with pests.
One such company is the Ultimate Food Company, which has been making outstanding Christmas and sponge puddings in the Lake District for over 30 years. Their products include Famous Grouse Christmas puddings, ultimate plum puddings, traditional Christmas puddings and a range of Sri Lankan chutneys under the Demels brand. They are also one of Fortnum and Mason’s largest suppliers.
Harvey Environmental Services managing director Martin Harvey and pest control senior inspector Neil Melling visited their Kendal headquarters to run a pest awareness briefing with their production and warehouse staff.
Companies audited by the BRC must show that their employees understand the signs of pest activity in the workplace and be aware of the need to report any evidence of pest activity to a designated manager.
“The team at the Ultimate Food Company were a fantastic group with a real interest in keeping their premises free from pests,” said Martin Harvey.
“Neil and I answered some great questions from all of the team and really felt that they understood the importance of pest control within the business.
“Our briefing ensured they are now aware of the early warning signs of pest issues which is key to meeting the BRC audit criteria.”
The Ultimate Food Company’s managing director, Ian Stansfield and factory manager, Matt Larn, arranged for the team from Harvey Environmental Services to hold the briefing in the company’s factory to highlight the areas which could be affected by pests.
Ian said: “It is essential that our staff understand the risks that pests pose to the high quality food we produce in our factory. We already felt that they had an understanding of the different types of pests that could affect our business but Martin and Neil were able to explain in more detail the risks these pests could pose to the products we produce and the reputation of our business”
“It was a really informative briefing and we are confident that all of our team have a good working knowledge about the steps they need to take to keep our premises pest free and to help us maintain our BRC standard.”
To ensure your employees are knowledgable on keeping your premises pest free, contact us today on 01282 866554 or email enquiries@harveyenviro.com
