Centra Belleek, owned by Gerry and Yvonne Rooney, has been named the Northern Ireland Winner in the National Quality and Excellence Awards held in Dublin in October.
The awards organised by the Excellence Ireland Quality Association celebrate the best of the best in Quality and Excellence and Hygiene and Food Safety business sectors. They are regarded as the ‘Oscars’ for quality and hygiene and this particular category was designed specifically for SuperValu and Centra stores in Northern Ireland because of their commitment to hygiene.
Rooney’s Centra has been able to show superior standards having obtained the Excellence Ireland Quality Association (EIQA) Hygiene Mark Certificate. This standard provides official recognition of consistent hygiene controls implemented by businesses across the food industry, including supermarkets, bakeries, food processors, restaurants and hotels.
To gain the award, participating stores have regular hygiene audits and spot-checks covering every area of the business from food preparation to storage and retailing. All hygiene procedures are documented and staff training is a key element for successful hygiene mark businesses. Holding the hygiene mark not only demonstrates compliance to HACCP legislation it provides a benchmark of ‘good practice’ for the food retail sector while protecting the consumer.
Gerry said, “We are extremely pleased to have received this high recognition in what was a very competitive category. It is a great tribute to all our efforts and the hard work put in by our staff. I’m really proud of all of them.”
