Topic: Rules for selling food on our Open Days?

[Scope254]

Our society regularly has Open Days and we sell the usual home made cakes, jams, chutneys etc.  The question has come up as to whether we should have a hygiene certificate or not.  For our forthcoming Christmas Fayre we are intending to offer hot soup, warm mince pies and possibly sausage sandwiches but do not want to fall foul of any regulations.
Does anyone have any info about this and if we do need something, were do we go?
All advice will be appreciated.

[saddad]

The people preparing the food need a hygiene certificate at least. We get round it to an extent by buying in food and shrink wrapping portions. Or preparing our own in house kitchens by members who have a cert... eg Home Ec teachers!
 ;D

[jennym]

It would be good for someone to hold a certificate in Food Hygiene. This is achieved after passing a test following a recognised training course (usually a day or so). The training course and exam sometimes takes place on the same day. There are many organisations which offer this course and training but there is usually a charge for it. Your council can give details of courses at local colleges like this: http://www1.surreycc.gov.uk/aclcoursefinder/csedets.asp?cse=19339&name=GUILDFORD%20ADULT%20LEARNING%20CENTRE&vensid=73&grpkey=36&grpname=GUILDFORD&venphone=01483%20518528 and see also http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/SCCWebsite/sccwspages.nsf/searchresults/62f5c436c7a1459e80256ed6004b78ee?OpenDocument
Sometimes, if you're lucky you can get this free. Organisations that support community based activities often fund courses like this if they can get enough people interested and there is an obvious benefit to the local community,
You might like to try your local Community Action  or Voluntary Action group, yours might be: http://www.surreyca.org.uk/about_introduction.htm or even try organisations like Business Link and ask about free training: http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/gsdDetail?site=42&r.s=sc&type=GSD&itemId=1076588190
I think I got mine free via Surestart, but am afraid I don't have any further information, perhaps you could contact them to ask.

[miniroots]

If you're serving hot food the person serving really should have a hygiene certificate too.  What if someone had a sausage sandwich and then said they'd got food poisoning? 
If noone there had a certificate you could be in hot water!!

If your open day is quite soon and you don't have time to sort the training out trying approaching a local Sure Start / Children's Centre and seeing if they want to support you on the day, they are bound to have staff / volunteers with hygiene certificates - sell it to them via the 'healthy lifestyles' promotion angle.

Good luck!