The Red Cat Partnership sponsors new category in the 2012 Norfolk Food and Drink Awards

The 2012 EDP Norfolk Food and Drink Awards are an annual celebration of the cream of the county's food and drink suppliers and service people. The RedCat Partnership have been involved for the past few years, principally in judging and providing an award for the 'Battle of the Bangers.'

This year they have suggested a new category for the main awards, and that the subject is food safety and are pleased to announce their sponsorship of the Exceptional Food Safety Management Award.

If your business would like to nominate itself, or indeed you know a business worthy of the Exceptional Food Safety Management Award, there is more information on the Awards homepage here. You can submit your nomination on-line and you need to get your nominations in by 1st June 2012.

Director, Sarah Daniels says,

"The criteria we're looking to judge 

against are a stretch, but that's what competition is about."

Criteria with this Award are:

• An ability to demonstrate top level management commitment to food safety
• An engagement with staff, to demonstrate their commitment too, and that they share desire to produce safe food
• A training programme for staff. This should be a little more than the "health and hygiene" certificate every three years. The RedCat Partnership is looking for an organised training schedule, with training delivered at different levels for different staff, planned refresher training, etc, and, of course, recorded.
• Keeping up-to-date. Sometimes things come along like the E. coli scare in Germany (and the need to avoid sprouting seeds from Egypt), and the revised Food Standards Agency guidance on E. coli control. It has to be seen that entrants keep themselves up to date, in the know and react to these issues.
• Obviously, food safety management systems need to be in place. A basic entry requirement, this can easily be demonstrated with your 'Score-on-the-door' (or 'star rating', if you're a caterer) or BRC/SALSA accreditation (if you're a manufacturer). If neither of these is applicable to you, e.g. for some smaller artisan food producers, or your local Council don't provide a rating, food safety management systems will be looked at.
• Finally, Sara says they're always keen to listen to anything else that you think makes the entrant stand out in keeping our food safe. After all, it's one of the few things we all have in common...the need for safe, nutritious food.

To enter your nomination online visit www.2012foodanddrinkawards.co.uk

For more information about The RedCat Partnership visit their page on The Artisan Food Trail here

If you'd like to nominate food businesses for other awards, the 2012 EDP Norfolk Food and Awards also include the following categories:

Food and Drink Hero
Best Drink Producer
Best Family Dining
Best Food Sustainability Initiative
Best Independent Food and Drink Retailer
Best Plough to Plate Champion
Best Restaurant Experience
Best School Food Project
Chef of the Year
Coast Award
Outstanding Achievement Award
Excellence in Agriculture Award
The Pride of Norfolk Award

The Artisan Food Trail has members in Norfolk…
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