Caterer Close Up

Run by Chris Elwick and situated just off the village green, this rural local has been a prominent figure serving the community since at least 1891.

The Beresford Arms is a proper local. A “home from home”. Cosy and comfortable, with leather armchairs and their signature tartan carpet. They offer great value and a wide selection of beers, ciders, wines and spirits, including the very best real ale and world beers.

Then there is the wholesome and traditional home cooked menu. With all the family favourites you’d expect from a country pub, including Cumberland Sausage & Mash, Homemade Fish Pie, a full grill menu of steaks, gammon, burgers and chicken, and a delicious Sunday roast, a tasty selection of meats with all the trimmings. Add to that the weekly themed food nights and there’s something to suit everyone’s taste. The friendly staff and relaxed atmosphere make it the perfect place to unwind. A true second home.

Pictured – above; Chris Elwick business owner, Alan one of the Chef’s at the Beresford Arms

Managing Allergens

How do they keep within the EU guidelines (European Food Information to Consumers Regulation No 1169/2011 (FIC)) regarding allergens? The Beresford Arms use the Erudus Allergen & Nutritional Data Search product. And why wouldn’t they? The Allergen & Nutritional Data Search product is perfect for Publicans offering food, jam-packed full of up to date and relevant information relating to the EU’s 14 major allergens.

So how does it work? It starts with their choice of wholesaler. The Beresford Arms purchase a lot of their produce from Blaydon based Tyneside Foodservice, who are one of the growing number of wholesale and foodservice companies subscribed to Erudus, in order to provide and support their customers with allergen information.

The guys at Tyneside populate Erudus One with their customers’ purchase history and with the click of a button The Beresford Arms chef Alan can log in and download a report which lists everything they have ordered, complete with all of the nutritional and allergen information they need to comply with the EU Food Information for Consumers Regulation.

Pictured – above; Alan preparing a pate from the starter menu, external signage advertising the Beresford’s home cooked food.

Staff at The Beresford Arms also use the Erudus Allergen Chart, Menu Planning Matrix to cross reference against the menu as another way to ensure they are sticking to the laws introduced in December 2014. Once the chef has created the menu, he logs in to Erudus One to find all of the ingredients used, either from the purchase history compiled by Tyneside or using individual searches. He fills in the Erudus Allergen Chart, noting which dishes contain which allergen ingredients. This gives the waiting staff an up to date reference point to check against if a customer enquires about allergen information.

Training staff to understand menus enables them to offer advice to customers. The waiting staff are briefed at regular staff meetings whenever the menu is altered or an ingredient is changed. It is imperative they understand the importance of giving the correct information to customers, especially when it comes to potentially life threatening nut allergies. All staff are aware of the Allergen Charts and know if they are unsure of any allergens to check them or go back to the chef for more information. Double checking the data is easy as Erudus One is responsive, working on mobiles, tablets etc, making it easily accessible.

Whenever the menu changes, they start the whole process all over again. They are committed to keeping their allergen information up to date so customers in The Beresford Arms who suffer with food allergies can dine safe in the knowledge their food not only tastes great but has been checked to ensure it is suitable for them to eat.

So, if you fancy trying out their menu, pop in to The Beresford Arms the next time you’re passing. Try tasty food in comfortable surroundings, happy that all of your allergen questions can be answered by friendly, well trained staff.

Want to tell us how you use Erudus One? Get in touch and we’ll feature your business in our Caterer Close Up series. Drop us an email at webmaster@erudus.com for more information. Good, bad or indifferent, we’d love to hear from you!