Dear God, just let me pass....

Evening all,

This was a big week for us at The Delicious Food Co. Each year one of our clients, Compass plc audit all their suppliers to ensure the quality & safety of their food operations...The email announcing that my audit is due is without a doubt the most terrifying email I receive each year.

The audit is NOT for the fainthearted. A scope for the audit 32 pages long is attached to the email...dates are required so that flights can be booked for the auditor....who comes over from UK.

My auditor last year was formerly head of QC for Marks & Spencer..do I need to say more.....

I try to ignore the email for as long as possible, adding it to the list of things that keep me awake at night...then with a burst of courage I email them  asking if they have a date for me, pretending that I have already responded ...once that's done there is no going back....flights are booked and I start frantically going over every record making sure everything is in place & up to date....product spec, packaging specs, calibration, water certificates, HACCP....

Each year I pray to God that I pass...failure means an automatic delisting, a loss of business & the stigma that goes with it...

On Wednesday afternoon in the final throws of the prep, I thought it would be a good time to give my house a deep clean....I'm not sure what part of my brain does that.... but some how I felt that going to bed in crisp clean sheets & waking up in a pristine bedroom...would help me pass....the 100's of data sheets needed to be filed....could wait.

Bed at 1.30am & up at 5.30... I gathered the files doing a final check that I had everything, tick, tick,tick...

Phone call comes announcing the arrival of the auditor, she's in the building....heart racing I go to meet her, like a lamb to the slaughter, my HACCP folders in my  trembling hands....but there was no need for the fear....she was lovely....my food operation is in good shape...each item on the scope was covered off by us...She said we were a credit to ourselves we should be very proud ..

Then the final analysis...

....not only did we pass....but The Delicious Food Co is an A grade Compass supplier.

Whoopie !

Shirley x.