BRCGS announced the award winners at BRCGS Connect Europe (Coventry), which took place in Coventry from 7-8 February 2024.
The BRCGS Connect (EMEA and adjacent regions) Awards will recognize the outstanding commitment, support and performance of individuals and organisations who contribute to the development of the BRCGS Standards scheme and the wider food safety industry in the EMEA and adjacent regions markets.
Award categories and winners
BRCGS Certificated Site of the Year (EMEA and adjacent regions)
Alwafaa Food Industries
BRCGS Certification Body of the Year (EMEA and adjacent regions)
UK Food Certification Ltd
BRCGS Approved Training Partner and Consultant of the Year – (EMEA and adjacent regions)
Sonia Andre
BRCGS Auditor of the Year – (EMEA and adjacent regions)
Pauline Shaw
CEO Award (EMEA and adjacent regions)
Prof. Bizhan Pourkomailian, Global Director, McDonald's
Rehab Youssef from Alwafaa Food Industries said: “Winning the BRCGS certificated site award of the year 2024 is a great honor. Receiving this award has definitely strengthened our role as one of the leading companies in producing coating systems for meat and poultry processors, it was a year full of hard work and achievement under the leadership of our CEO Muhamed Youssef and we believe that we can leave a mark that’s why we choose BRCGS and we proud that we are BRCGS. Great thanks to BRCGS for your continuous support, our team Alwafaa food industries & Almera Foods great effort to keep going, and our customers, you are our success partner and the reason for our good reputation."
Oliver Hynes, UK Food Certification Operations Director said, “We are delighted to receive this award which is a testament to the hard work of the entire team. It recognises our commitment to delivering exceptional customer service in auditing and certification and reflects our can-do approach. We value our relationship with BRCGS and look forward to continuing our partnership.”
Sonia Andre said: "Winning this BRCGS Award is really an honour and I’m very touched. It means so much to me. I love teaching and sharing what I know about food safety management. I put a lot of passion and care into it so to be recognised in this way by the BRCGS is a wonderful achievement.
Thank you very much to the training team at BRCGS, to my students & clients over the years for the fruitful exchanges and the lovely feedback messages – which I never take for granted, and a big public thank you to Cathy Gladwin, for leading me, supporting me, and believing in me right from our very first conversation.
Let's continue our joint efforts to make food safer everywhere in the world."
Pauline Shaw said: "I'm so honoured to have been awarded the BRCGS Auditor of the Year. At LRQA, we pride ourselves on working with clients to understand their unique needs with expertise across multiple sectors, so to hear that our clients have been so pleased with our work in food safety and to have my contribution recognised by BRCGS is an incredibly special moment for me. I hope there will be future opportunities to work with BRCGS to develop the schemes further and I look forward to continuing to support clients with the vital work we do together – helping to ensure our clients have a robust food safety system in place to ensure food is safe, secure and ethically sourced across the entire supply chain."
Bizhan Pourkomailian said: "I am humbled and honoured to receive the BRCGS CEO award. As food safety professionals we only have the safety of the consumer, whomever they may be, on top of mind. McDonald’s as a global Brand and present in over 100 countries, has been assisted through the BRCGS Standards to deliver on our promise to the consumer. The Standards are embedded in many of our suppliers and distributors and continue to grow, which is a testament to its value. As a member of the BRCGS International Advisory Board, I have been given the amazing possibility to share my experiences, learn from others and assist in shaping future food safety assurance through compliance. Beyond the Board, BRCGS has provided the platform to allow me to partake on the journey to safer food through, Standards review committees, webinars and conferences. BRCGS provides an atmosphere of openness, honesty and partnership which allows all members to take a risk in sharing bold ideas to further enhance food safety standards and status across the globe. The award, I accept on behalf of all who I have had the pleasure of learning from, as it is because of them that I am able to share."
BRCGS Connect is a new event series designed to bring together industry professionals globally through a series of local events held in key locations around the world. The aim of these events are to connect locally with our partners, specifiers and manufacturing facilities to learn, network and share best practice in a familiar face-to-face environment.
Notes to Editors
About BRCGS
At BRCGS, we champion the highest quality. Improving trust in supply chains, through rigorous application of our Standards, we deliver products and services with global relevance and industry expertise. BRCGS is the trusted validation that strengthens Brand, Reputation through Compliance.