Food Safety Policy

1. Policy Statement

Primrose Weddings & Events Ltd, trading as The Harrogate Food & Drink Co., Funky Fridays, and Trufflehunters, is fully committed to producing and serving food that is safe, legal, and of the highest quality. We will meet or exceed all relevant food safety legislation, including the Food Safety Act 1990, Regulation (EC) 852/2004, and the Food Information Regulations 2014.

We believe that food safety is everyone's responsibility. All staff are expected to understand and follow our food safety procedures. This policy applies to all food preparation, handling, transport, and service activities across all our trading names and event sites.

2. Responsibilities

Directors / Management

• Maintaining and reviewing this policy annually and after any food safety incident.
• Ensuring HACCP plans are current, documented, and followed.
• Ensuring all staff receive food safety training appropriate to their role before working unsupervised.
• Maintaining current public liability and employers liability insurance.
• Ensuring food business registrations are current with the relevant local authority.

All Staff

• Attending all required food safety training and refreshers.
• Following all documented food safety procedures and HACCP controls at every event.
• Reporting any food safety concerns, incidents, or near-misses to the event manager immediately.
• Not handling food when suffering from, or suspected of suffering from, a notifiable illness (vomiting, diarrhoea, infected skin wounds, jaundice).

3. Personal Hygiene Standards

• Hands washed thoroughly on arrival, after handling raw food, after toilet use, after handling waste, after coughing/sneezing, and before handling ready-to-eat food.
• Hair tied back or covered. Clean PPE (apron/gloves) worn for food handling.
• No jewellery (except plain wedding band), nail varnish, or false nails.
• Blue waterproof plasters used to cover all cuts and abrasions on hands.
• Staff who are unwell are required to notify the event manager and will be stood down from food handling duties.

4. Temperature Control

• Hot food held at minimum 63°C. Checked and recorded every 2 hours during service.
• Cold food held at maximum 8°C (target 5°C). Checked and recorded at start of service and every 2 hours.
• Core temperature of cooked food verified at minimum 75°C before service (Scotland: 82°C).
• The two-hour rule applied: food not to be in the temperature danger zone (8°C–63°C) for more than 2 hours in total.
• Probe thermometers calibrated, cleaned, and sanitised between uses.
• Temperature records maintained on site using the HGFD Contract Sheets HACCP temperature log (or equivalent).

5. Cross-Contamination Prevention

• Colour-coded chopping boards and utensils used: Red (raw meat), Yellow (cooked meat), Green (salad/fruit/veg), Blue (raw fish), White (dairy/bakery), Purple (allergen).
• Raw and ready-to-eat foods stored, transported, and prepared separately at all times.
• Allergen-containing ingredients stored separately and clearly labelled. See Allergen Chart on file.
• All food contact surfaces cleaned and sanitised between tasks and at the end of service.

6. Allergen Management

We take allergen management seriously and maintain a current allergen chart for all menus. Staff are briefed on allergen content of all dishes at every event. Customers with dietary requirements or allergies are directed to the event manager. No dish described as allergen-free is served without verification against the allergen chart. Full allergen management procedure is documented separately.

7. Supplier Control

• Food purchased from reputable, approved suppliers only (SALSA, BRC, or equivalent certified where possible).
• Delivery temperatures checked and recorded on receipt. Substandard deliveries rejected.
• Traceability: batch numbers or delivery notes retained for a minimum of 3 months.

8. Waste Management

Food waste is disposed of promptly and hygienically in accordance with our Waste Management procedure. No cooked food is reheated more than once. Unsold cooked food at end of event is disposed of unless safe storage can be guaranteed. We operate a compostable packaging policy where feasible.

9. Incidents & Complaints

Any suspected food poisoning complaint, food safety incident, or customer illness following consumption of our food is treated as a serious matter. The event manager documents the complaint, retains any relevant food samples if possible, and reports to the director within 24 hours. We cooperate fully with any investigation by Environmental Health. We maintain a complaint log.

10. Training

All food handlers hold a minimum Level 2 Award in Food Safety in Catering (or equivalent). Supervisors hold Level 3. Training certificates are held on file. Refresher training is completed every 3 years or following any food safety incident. HACCP awareness is included in all staff inductions.