We hold a squadron barbeque over the summer. In the past, I’ve been told that without a food hygiene qualification, we can only cook and serve packaged food (eg. packaged burgers are fine, but making your own kebabs is not).
We have a chef on our squadron so good practice is always followed (eg. checking temperature with a meat thermometer) but I’ve not managed to find any official guidance on this sort of thing.
I’d appreciate any advice/guidance, thanks.
In the same vein, I have scoured SharePoint for anything relevant but in terms of Corps policy have found nothing. It seems some individual Wgs do offer, or at least enable, food hygeine training to one standard or another.
As nothing is wrapped up in policy, I would suggest that obviously some such qualification is a bonus and should be made use of if available, but as with everything, a sensible, comprehensive RA should suffice, covering all the points from the actual storage and prep of food, to the cooking and any subsequent illness.
There are some good advice/templates on the food.gov.uk website, and I would just include these in any Local/PIPE application.
I think it was once on one of the Corps provided Risk Assessments, so people got their panties in a twizzle about it and have been banging on about it ever since. It’s certainly in the NACATC hand over documents as well as a few others - although, strangely, was never included in any of our actual training or policy documents!
Personally, I’d get yourself one to cover your own back and show due diligence. If you have some experience or are not a complete muppet, you can do them online for £20-30 and it’ll take the best part of half an hour. Be careful which ones you choose - some are mickey mouse - you ideally need one recognised by CIEH or RSPH (who pretty much set the industry standards). If you’re dubious about that process, contact your local authority environmental health/food safety team - they generally run these courses under their Council for a nominal fee (normally around £40-60 over 4-6 evenings or a full day). Your local college may also offer it.
As Green Monkey said, there are some sound templates on food.gov.uk (or if they’ve been removed, look up something called “Safer Food Better Business” which contains lots of simple HACCP compliant templates to work from to get your bum covered.
The other thing I’d say is the course was split up a few years back from the traditional “Basic Food Hygiene” course to move away from the “one size fits all approach” to a more targeted approach depending on the audience. There are now 3 courses available at Level 2 (the one you really need to get):
•Level 2 Award in Food Safety in Catering
•Level 2 Award in Food Safety for Manufacturing
•Level 2 Award in Food Safety for Retail
For BBQ’s etc, you’ll need the Catering one - not Manufacturing or Retail!
Hope that helps!
Try to avoid the attendance course if at all possible. I did one with the local council (most of the other people on it were kebab van owners!) and can honestly say of all the courses I’ve done, it was the one most making me contemplate suicide.
Mine runs out in Dec and I am going to look for an online one!
I did mine online. Cost £25 and I have a shiny certificate with the city and guilds logo on, which should be good enough.