11 Dec 2024

Aims and objectives

Supplier audits will be undertaken according to a schedule determined by several risk factors, including product category, location, BRC/GFSI rating, complaint history and contract volume.

The time gap between one audit and the next depends on risk, with suppliers being audited every six, 12 or 24 months.  Audits may be undertaken at short notice and unannounced.  The length of the audit will depend on the size, scale and complexity of the business.

All reasonable efforts will be made to ensure that audits cause minimal disruption to suppliers’ businesses.

For unannounced audits, Wetherspoon’s auditors expect to have full and unrestricted access to the supplier’s business within 15 minutes of arrival. Verbal feedback is provided at the end of the audit.  A written report, including any required action points, is provided within 48 hours.

Audit criteria

Audits of food suppliers are conducted with reference to specific criteria as detailed in the supplier audit scope, in accordance with BRC requirements, but will additionally include the following areas: 

• compliance with the supplier charter, including supplier code of conduct
  and antibribery and anticorruption policy 
• compliance with animal welfare policy (where applicable) 
• compliance with sourcing policies
• threat analysis critical control points (TACCPs)
• vulnerability analysis critical control points (VACCPs) 
• HACCP
• food safety and quality management 
  • documentation 
  • supplier and raw materials 
  • traceability and product recall
• site standards 
  • staff facilities 
  • hygiene and housekeeping 
  • pest control 
  • physical and chemical contamination
• product control
• process control
• personnel
• fire safety
• SEDEX requirements
• UK stock holding (if applicable)
• tested business continuity and disaster recovery plans
• foreign object detection

Requirements

All Wetherspoon food suppliers must be certified to a global food safety initiative (GFSI) standard – and their quality management system (QMS) must reflect this. The scope of certification must include the products being purchased by Wetherspoon.

Audits are rated green, amber or red. Suppliers are expected to achieve a green rating. If an amber result is achieved, the supplier will be subject to a further unannounced audit. Wetherspoon reserves the right to terminate the contract with any supplier achieving a red result or consecutive amber results.

Suppliers are expected to implement all actions identified on the audit to be completed within the specified timeframe.