At the core of this is a strong food safety culture, as it underpins everything you do as a business. Through creating a great culture you’ll increase staff participation, grow efficiency and build your reputation, so it’s important to get it right.
Industry awards recognise businesses that reflect these qualities. With voting now open for The Bay Hospitality Awards, it’s time to celebrate exceptional businesses that stand out from the crowd. In this blog we discuss the upcoming awards and how to create a food safety culture that will get your brand recognised, putting you on track for an award nomination.
The first step in creating a good food safety culture is by ensuring your FCP is up to date. See how yours measures up with our Food Safety Quiz.
The Bay Hospitality Awards
Hospitality awards recognise the hard work that goes into maintaining a venue. They also boost a brand’s reputation, so they’re a great way of getting noticed for all of the right reasons.
Finalists in the Bay Hospitality Awards have been named, and voting is now open to industry members and the public. The awards represent the cream of the crop from Tauranga, Mount Maunganui, Papamoa, Waihi Beach, Waihi, Whakatane, Omokoroa, Te Puke and Katikati.
There are 15 award categories ranging from Outstanding Cafe, Restaurant and Bar, to Outstanding New Venue and People’s Choice Award. The awards are a great way to get involved in the New Zealand hospitality industry, and to see what others are doing to set the standard. Voting closes on the 29th October.
How to develop a strong food safety culture
High standards in hospitality are not only about what happens in the front of house, but also in the kitchen. Creating a culture that gets staff involved in all aspects of the food will help to develop an environment of excellence.
Central to this is food safety. If you have a company culture focused on food safety, the potential benefits can be huge, including a competitive edge and your financial stability.
It’s essential staff are adequately trained around food safety so they are knowledgeable on regulations and venue specific requirements. Strong food safety cultures are built on respect. As noted in the book Human Factors and Behavioural Safety, “The safety culture of an organisation is the product of individual and group values, attitudes, competencies and patterns of behaviour that determine the commitment to, and the style and proficiency of an organisation’s health and safety programme”.
Technology also has a role to play. There’s technology available for food safety, making it easier and faster than ever before to build a food safety culture. They’ll help you get your team involved, reduce the risk of food safety issues and ensure compliance standards are met. An effective food control plan (FCP) is the first step in helping you remain compliant, so make sure yours is in place.
Industry excellence can be achieved through food safety. By integrating a strong culture of food safety in your kitchen you’ll not only engage your team, you’ll also transform your business and secure an exceptional reputation.
