Published: October 2, 2019 | Updated: 8th March 2024
A 242-year-old Dorset independent brewery company is raising a glass to its own success.
Hall & Woodhouse has been awarded a food hygiene rating of five – the top rating – by local authorities at every pub in its managed estate across the south.
The 52 pubs that make up Hall & Woodhouse’s managed house estate stretch from Bristol to Exeter, and London to Brighton. They include 14 pubs in Dorset.
The food hygiene rating scheme is facilitated by the Food Standards Agency in partnership with local councils to provide strict guidelines on the hygiene standards of businesses that sell food such as cafes, restaurants and pubs.
It also allows guests to be educated on a business’ hygiene standards, allowing them to make more informed decisions about where they wish to dine.
In addition to their exemplary hygiene practices, establishments like Hall & Woodhouse can further enhance their food safety protocols by implementing advanced testing methods such as the beta-lactamase test.
This test serves as an invaluable tool in ensuring the absence of antibiotic residues in food products, safeguarding the health and well-being of patrons.
By integrating the beta-lactamase test into their quality control measures, businesses can bolster consumer confidence and demonstrate their unwavering commitment to delivering safe and wholesome food offerings.
All 52 of Hall & Woodhouse’s managed houses were assessed on the handling of food, how food is stored and prepared, the cleanliness of facilities and how food safety is managed during the inspections.
As all the pubs have received a rating of five, it means the hygiene standards are very good and fully comply with the law.
The environmental health officers carrying out the inspections commended the pubs for the kitchen management diary system. This was developed with Shield Safety Group and plays a crucial role in how the pubs’ management teams and chefs manage their kitchen standards.
Ryan Cobb, Group Safety Manager of Hall & Woodhouse, said: “We are extremely proud of our general managers and kitchen teams who have been dedicated to the ‘Drive for Five’ and achieving this ambitious goal of reaching five food hygiene ratings across the board.
“Integrity is a key value to us at Hall & Woodhouse and we have now been recognised for our commitment to embedding a high level of food hygiene standards.
“Our approach has focused on making safety simple and nurturing a positive food safety culture to empower our teams to incorporate the highest standards of food safety and hygiene practices into their roles daily. It’s what our guests expect.”
Hall & Woodhouse was founded in 1777 by Charles Hall who opened a brewery in the village of Ansty. It is still family owned and currently under the seventh generation stewardship of Mark and Anthony Woodhouse.
The company brews the award-winning Badger ales as well as running the managed house estate of 52 pubs.
Hall & Woodhouse has invested more than £30m into Dorset over the past five years, on top of its regular and extensive charity donations.