Customers, suppliers, trainers and auditors joined together in celebrating Verner Wheelock Associates’(VWA) 35th anniversary recently.
The Skipton-based business, which is one of the UK’s leading independent food industry training companies, was incorporated on 5th September 1990 – the same year that the Food Safety Act was introduced. Since 1990 when VWA’s first major seminar ‘Implications of the Food Safety Act 1990’ was held, their customer base has grown exponentially, and longstanding clients include several of the UK’s best-known food manufacturers, as well more local companies.
As a special anniversary promotion, VWA is offering a 10% discount off all its open and in-house course fees. Bookings must be made by 30th September 2025.
To take advantage of this offer, visit vwa.co.uk, select an open course and enter the code 90TO25 at checkout. Alternatively, contact VWA’s Sales Director, Claire Lennon on 01756 700802 or claire.lennon@vwa.co.uk, who will also provide quotes for in-house training. (Terms and conditions apply).
Verner Wheelock provide training in HACCP, Food Safety, Auditing and specialist courses. There are currently 28 different courses, as well as the option to write and deliver bespoke in-house courses tailored to specific customer requirements.
Last year the company delivered 215 training courses and trained more than 2500 delegates – many of them remotely via Zoom. Additionally, their ethical team undertook 226 SMETA ethical audits.
“People always receive a warm welcome on our courses and enjoy coming back.” Says Alison. “We’re flexible, offering remote or face-to-face training, and our trainers travel all around the UK (and even abroad) delivering courses to trainees at their own premises. We issue feedback forms following each course to gauge customer satisfaction to find out where we can improve. We strive to be the best we can be.”
The company’s ability to adapt and thrive – even training during the Covid 19 lockdown – was the theme for the 35th anniversary celebration, held at Elsworth at the Mill, in Skipton. Attendees enjoyed a presentation which gave a whistle-stop tour of VWA through the decades.
It demonstrated how VWA’s course delivery has evolved over time. From overhead projectors with acetate sheets and flipcharts to combined face-to-face and live remote sessions using interactive state of the art technology. It also showed how their course offering has expanded over the years, driven by legislation, industry trends and customer requests.
The celebration included a healthy eating talk by Harrogate-based Hälsa Wellbeing, fun quizzes, and a nutritious lunch where attendees and VWA staff could socialise and network.
For more information, please visit vwa.co.uk