Let's just get it done!

Let's just get our staff trained and move on!

http://www.foodsafety.nz/2-bs-food-safety-training

I was out and about at the weekend, as were most of us. Taking into account we were still

on Level-2. I tried to visit as many small cafés as I could, to share the cash around and to give support to small businesses. I managed to fit in 3 cafes and 1 restaurant. Good effort I thought over 1 weekend. Well, it was a long weekend. But still a good effort. The third café I visited I had never been to before, so I was open to anything new. It was the weekend and we were out yippee!!! It looked interesting and quirky from outside, so in I went.

The first thing I noticed, but not too bothered at this point, well ok I was a bit, was that there was no registration diary or QR code for track 'n trace. Hmm, I thought a bit weird. As we are all still in lockdownish mode. But regardless we sat down. The waitress handed us well-worn and well-handled dirty menus. Hmm ok, I’m thinking not sure what’s going on here

but let’s just keep going with it. No sanitizer, so I had to ask. No cutlery, but when I asked for some it was well handled by staff before it got to us and on and on it went. To be honest, it went from bad to worse, it really did go downhill very quickly from entering the premises. I could go on to point out where they went wrong but just trust me it wasn't good.

There was absolutely no food safety or Covid-19 procedures in place at all, AT ALL!. It was BAD! I did as

k if they had a trace register, they said no sorry they were rushed, etc. etc. I didn’t say who I was or what I do but I did leave my business card behind that states I’m a food safety consultant and to call me if they need help or if they need free advice on any food safety issues. Which I can assure you they certainly do.

I really can help small businesses get trained and set up to be fully compliant in food safety. AND it really is an easy fix. But with me leaving my card behind I’m trying to reach out to them in a non-threatening way. It's delicate. I’m not the food police. I’m on the other side. I’m here to help them get it right so you can pass the audit and have procedures in place, and don’t inadvertently poison someone. If you do poison, someone, then you can be prosecuted, and believe me losing a license to sell food will be the least of your worries.

But getting that message across is the part I struggle with. From genuinely wanting to help small business get their act together and get them up to standard and trained to me feeling like I am a salesperson…do you know what I mean??? Arrrgh. As that is what I do as a business. I hate the sales side of things.

I still struggle with trying to get this right. If I had approached the owner/manager how would they have taken it??? Nobody and I mean nobody, likes to be told they run an unhygienic café or restaurant with untrained staff…nobody. So, I will tread lightly one café at a time. I’m pretty sure my business card went in the bin.

http://www.foodsafety.nz/2-bs-food-safety-training

Here comes the salesy cringe bit. During the lockdown, I developed a food safety training course that fits everyone. Front of house, back of house, and everything in between. I've been in education for over 30 years and I basically studied what the wee cafe and restaurant owners and staff need, to bring them up to standard in basic food safety training. The course takes 3 hours approx. to complete and you can do it on-line. This means you can do it anyplace and at any time (feel like the Milk Tray man...you might be too young for that advert). I've purposely made the cost low $97+gst per person, so everyone can have access to it in these tough times. So please for the love of food safety lets just get trained! Click on the link to learn more sign up. http://www.foodsafety.nz/2-bs-food-safety-training