I know this is not really a forum for this - but someone out there may have time to cook and produce food for what was the WI market.  My mum is 84 and has baked for many years - she has cut back in the last year due to a stroke. She does have a loyal group of people who wait for her delicious cakes and lemon curd that she has produced all this time.  She is very concerned (as are the rest of the group) that due to the hygiene rules and regs that she now has to attend an all day course with an exam at the end of it.  She has done so before but it sounded less arduous previously.  She thinks she can manage the course (although the expense is a worry too) but is now very worried about doing the exam. 

My question is - does anyone know what form the exam takes?  Would be grateful if anyone out there has done a course like this - I am sure that it is necessary for other things as well.  All these rules and regulations when my Mum has baked all her life - she gets tired standing now but she can produce fantastic pastry and great cakes - with a spotless kitchen.   Baking gives her purpose and keeps her up and doing.  It seems so unfair that things are getting so bad in this country that everyone has to have a certificate to say that they understand all these rules - just so some official can tick a box to say that it is covered. 

I did a quick search but there is nothing on the market website so don't know what new things they can find to tell her in a whole day! 

I'm guessing you're on about a food safety in catering certificate? I have a level 1 certificate in this and it's really not difficult :) I found that 90% of it was common sense (Wash your hands after using raw meat etc) There are a couple of questions that you might need to read up on (like technical terms, correct heating temperatures etc) Here is the syllabus if you want to check it out. All we had at the end was a paper exam.

http://www.cieh.org/uploadedFiles/Core/Training/L1_FS_food_catering_syllabus.pdf

Hope this is what you were thinking of :)

I sort of see why it is useful to have these courses as if you are selling produce you must have some sort of public liability if anybody falls ill as a consequence of bad hygiene. It is to cover both the supplier and the customer :-)

The rules must be same if you run any food outlet

http://www.workplacesafetyadvice.co.uk/kitchen-workplace-safety.html

http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/regulation/hygleg/hyglegresources/

Maybe some help for your mum to look at ? :-)

Apparently the new rules say that they have to renew this qualification every few years or so.  I suppose they have to be made familiar with new rules - are there so many that it takes all day to hear about them!   NDQ - surely once you have this qualification do you have to be checked again in a few years time just to make sure you do really know it? 

Ceejay, I'm afraid I don't know. I did the food hygiene certificate when I was at college a couple of years ago as a standard extra they make you do. I think it's in case you want to work at McDonalds when you leave! :-D