Here is what Bar 10 had to say
Bar10 and the Lockside Restaurant are a well-established, family friendly bar and restaurant overlooking the Walsall Canal basin in Walsall. Taken over in 2016 by Mat & Katie, the venue has enjoyed a new lease of life having undergone a complete refit, the launch of a great new menu and the introduction of live music and events.
Taking over the previously student run Wharf Bar, it was clear that the venue was in dire need of a complete overhaul, from the décor to the food safety standards. In Mat’s own words the venue was “not the best, with the kitchen being particularly horrific” – a positive change was required. Focusing initially on the lunchtime market, it was soon apparent that an evening offering was necessary, but in the venue’s current state evening footfall was basically zero.
Mat & Katie started with a complete refurbishment of the venue including ripping out the old kitchen and putting in a brand new one. Prior to the venue having a visit from the local authority EHO, Mat engaged Shield Safety Group having heard about our knowledge and expertise. After speaking to Bek, our Account Manager, Mat commented that using Shield Safety Group was “a no brainer to me.”
Prior to engaging Shield Safety Group, Mat was confident that he knew enough about running a venue to get a good food hygiene rating. “I was completely naive to all Food Safety and Health & Safety legislation, I thought an EHO inspection was all about how clean you are.”
Working closely with our expert audit team Mat soon understood what was actually required in order to achieve a good Food Hygiene Rating. Our Environmental Health Practitioner performed a food safety and health & safety audit on the venue and created a detailed, actionable plan to help Mat & Katie implement the recommendations. Getting all of the new recommendations and checks in place required some additional work but once implemented the venue is now reaping the rewards.
According to Mat, there were multiple benefits to working with the Shield Safety team and using the Restaurant Compliance pack service.
“We are so glad to have engaged with Shield Safety Group, because of your expertise & knowledge, it has opened our eyes wider to Food Safety and Health & Safety requirements and issues. I now see other businesses using a Food Safety Management System, and nod at them knowingly.”
When Bar10 were audited by the Local Authority they scored 5 in every category, and Mat attributes this to the audit performed by Shield Safety Group. Not only has Mat’s own knowledge about Food Safety and Health & Safety increased, but the 5 star rating has seen a rise in footfall, new menus being developed and an increase in profitability.
Using a football analogy Mat commented “Having a 5 star rating has taken us from the Conference into the Premier League and in my eyes we couldn’t have done it without Shield Safety Group.” Asked about the initial costs, Mat replied “I’d have paid double, that’s how much I value the service from Shield Safety Group.”