Business Awards

The NCOH Business Awards are given to businesses that follow the standards expected by the National College Of Hospitality.
We believe that any hospitality should have the opportunity to work in a safe, clean and positive working environment. This is where the foundations of the 3 awards are created from.

Why?
Since the early 2000’s, hospitality had become a breeding ground for poor working conditions, ignorant safety culture and lack of pride in cleanliness within kitchens. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, a national shortage of hospitality staff emerged largely from poor working conditions and lack of consideration for safety and cleanliness.

The 3 Excellence Awards

The 3 Excellence Awards set the foundations for good hospitality businesses, and allow businesses which strive on high standards to gain accreditation & appreciation for their hard work.
It is important to note, that the NCOH does not give Excellence Awards based purely on a single area. A business must show all 3 areas are to a good standard, as any major failings in other areas will not grant an Excellence Award regardless of how good the standards may be.
So if you see a business with one award, you can be assured the standards of the other two areas are of acceptable standards

Excellent Safety Culture:
Culture means the normal everyday attitude towards work or a specific subject/area.
When the NCOH is looking at Excellent Safety Culture, we aren’t looking for everything to be perfect with no issues (although it helps us make our decision if everything is perfect).
What we are looking for is the correct attitude and existing evidence of good safety culture in the business.
On a visit, we will actively engage with all staff and see if the culture of safety is followed, understood & promoted by everyone (From the Owners, right down to apprentices).
A review of risk assessments & policies will take place as well as observations for in-date health and safety information/policies.
Remember Safety is:
Health and Safety
Fire Safety
COSHH
Manual Handling/Lifting

Excellent Hygiene Standards:
Hygiene standards covers the whole cleanliness of the operation much like a Food Standards Agency hygiene inspection as well as the training and management of food safety.
To attain the Excellent Hygiene Standards award, a business must prove the standards of food safety and hygiene are as good as practicable to the individual business and also prove a good Food Safety Culture is present in a business.

Excellent Working Conditions:
The NCOH team has experienced first hand the physical and mental abuse from bullying, the unsatisfactory kitchen conditions from unsuitable ventilation and excessive noise levels, as well as long working hours and unnecessary short staffing.
Excellent working conditions should include the ideology for all staff “…to be the best that one can be” and the work environment to offer a good level of progression and development of new and existing staff.
What we look for/ check:
– Good Staff moral levels
– Break/rest rooms away from the working environment
– Unnecessary noise levels
– Facilities (Appropriate equipment to complete the workload)
– Working Hours/days. Breaks within a shift
– Opportunity for progression and development
– Benefits within the workplace.

How the NCOH visit process will be conducted: What to expect as a business.

There is 3 ways a business may be visited by the NCOH with consideration for an Excellence Award:
1. Repeat Inspection; Any business which has received an award in the previous year will automatically be visited but this can happen at anytime throughout the year.
2. Recommendation; You may be visited through a recommendation from local businesses, suppliers or even other food businesses.
3. Application: You may Apply for a visit through our online form. Visits through applications will be completed at any point up to 4 months after the application has been processed. (We will complete the relevant research on your business to know the opening times and days of operation. You do not need to inform us of any information about the business)

A visit will always be started with the NCOH members purchasing a food item and/or drink (e.g coffee) and begin the observations. NB: The NCOH visitors will pay for their food & drinks and will ensure to be polite and respectful. Please do not allow anyone to conduct a visit of your business if they claim to be from the NCOH and demand free food, drinks, or money for a visit. We will always pay for any food or drink consumed on your site before we introduce ourselves. We will never demand money in person for a visit.

Once the NCOH members have introduced themselves they will ask for a general walk around of your business, this will be done with the expectation the business will show all relevant areas and explain what each area is used for (E.G staff room, kitchen area). A genuine visit from the NCOH will email the contact email attached to your business from info@nationalcollegeofhospitality.com around 5 minutes before introducing ourselves with the names of the NCOH members visiting.

Once a general walk around has been completed, the NCOH members will begin their observations, questioning and checking the 3 areas CAC’s :’Critical Awarding Criteria’

Most NCOH visits will take around 2 hours to complete from the start of introducing ourselves to the finishing point.
The members completing the visit will not notify you of any result or award and again will not ask you for any money or payment. (If you are asked for any money, payment or anything as such from a NCOH member please contact us using the contact form or by our email: info@nationalcollegeofhospitality.com)