What does world class Food Safety really look like?
If you work in food or packaging, you will know that audits are part of life. You will also know that unannounced audits are the ones that really test you. A few weeks back, our UK team went through a BRCGS Food Safety unannounced audit over two full days. No notice. No preparation window. Just our normal operation, exactly as it runs every day. The outcome BRCGS Food Safety AA+ Unannounced with zero minor non-conformances. That is as high as it gets.
Why This Result Is a Big Deal
Let us be candid. Most BRC certified sites never reach AA+.
Even fewer achieve it unannounced.
And achieving it with zero minors is exceptionally rare.
Why? Because auditors are not looking for a good day. They are looking for your real day.
That means:
- Records completed properly every time
- Training fully up to date across all roles
- Consistent GMP across all shifts
- No small housekeeping slips
- No borderline risks quietly tolerated
- Processes followed exactly as written
Even excellent sites typically pick up one to three minor findings. Zero means nothing slipped. Anywhere.
This Is About Culture, Not Just Systems
Auditors can spot the difference between systems that exist on paper and standards that are lived.
This result tells a much bigger story about how we work:
- Ownership sits on the shop floor, not just in procedures
- Good Manufacturing Practice is how we operate, not how we prepare
- Leaders are visible and involved
- Teams know the standard and hold each other to it
In short, food safety is not something we switch on when someone is watching.
What This Means for You
We know why this matters to you, because it matters to your customers too.
This achievement gives you confidence that:
- Your brand and reputation are protected
- Food safety risks are controlled every day, not just at audit time
- Traceability is robust from raw material to finished product
- Compliance is embedded, reducing the need for additional audits
- You are working with a partner who takes accountability seriously
The plus in AA+ matters. It proves consistency.
Operational Excellence Built Over Time. Raising the Bar Through Horizon 2030
This result did not happen by chance. Our Operational Excellence journey began in 2015, building the standards, discipline and culture that define how we operate today. Horizon 2030 is not the start of that journey, it is the next step.
For us, Operational Excellence means:
- One clear way of working
- One standard across our operations
- Disciplined execution every day
- Issues found early and fixed properly
- Continuous improvement owned by everyone
Achieving BRCGS Food Safety AA+ Unannounced with zero minors shows what those principles deliver in practice. If this is the standard today, Horizon 2030 is about going even further.
A Team Effort We Are Proud Of
This achievement belongs to every colleague at our UK site. From operators and engineers to quality teams and leadership, it reflects pride in standards and the confidence to operate the right way even when no one is expecting a visit.
“I’m extremely proud of this result, but more importantly of the team behind it. The auditor specifically highlighted how friendly, approachable, and knowledgeable our staff were, which says a great deal about the culture at Wipak UK.
Results like this come from the standards the team sets for themselves every day and the ownership they take across the plant. Thank you to everyone for the professionalism and consistency that made this possible.”
Ross Davies
Operations Manager Wipak UK
What Comes Next
We are proud of this milestone, but we are not done. As we continue our Horizon 2030 journey, we will keep raising the bar, strengthening our culture and delivering the consistency our customers rely on. Because world class performance is not about passing audits. It is about earning trust every single day.
