#chalmarbeef

Chalmar Beef achieved its “Food Safety System Certification” (FSSC 22000) on 18 May 2017. Guided by Mieke Evans (Food Safety Team Leader), the food safety team as well as the managers, supervisors and general employees, worked very hard to obtain the certification.

The FSSC 22000 Food Safety System Certification provides a framework for effectively managing an organisation's food safety responsibilities. FSSC 22000 is fully recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) and is based on existing ISO Standards. It demonstrates that the company has a robust Food Safety Management System in place that meets the requirements of their customers and consumers.

The benefits of the FSSC 22000 certification have stood Chalmar Beef in good stead, in that the company has been able to manage risk, maintain its current customers and increase its market share. Customers and consumers can rest assured that Chalmar Beef’s first objective is producing a safe to eat and value for money product. The company is extremely proud of its high food safety and hygiene standards and shall continue to strive for improvement as they prepare themselves for their next FSSC22000 audit against the latest version 4.1 later in 2018.

Sampling for Listeria monocytogenes has always been a part of their microbiological testing protocol. They monitor their carcasses, quarters, primals, portions, minced products and their environment for L. monocytogenes as part of their microbiological testing program. They make use of an independent SANAS accredited laboratory to conduct all of their microbiological testing.

Chalmar Beef will continue to focus on:

Providing additional L. monocytogenes training to all their staff members  focusing on potential L. monocytogenes cross contamination

Deep cleaning chemicals and procedures specific to inhibition of Listeria growth

Implementation of our VACCP system  

Conducting additional testing over and above our normal L. monocytogenes testing schedule

You bought the meat, now what? After calling a friend, digging out old recipe books, hours on the internet and peppering the supplier with questions, you feel no closer to preparing the perfect roast, the juiciest steak or fall-off-the-bone lamb shoulder. It’s this all-too-familiar kitchen moment that inspired Chalmar Beef to launch the Chalmar Farm Kitchen.  

The Chalmar Farm Kitchen is the brainchild of Mrs Pat Wethmar, the Chalmar Matriarch. From her own kitchen on the farm she shares her recipes and wisdom. Guest chef, Anja Bands joins her in the kitchen. Together they will explore new ideas, revisit the classics and cook with the bounty of the seasons.         “Our farm kitchen is a generous, happy place with so many memories. We look forward to sharing our most treasured recipes and fresh new ideas with everyone that enjoys cooking and eating as much as we do,” says Pat.  

How it all began Story-telling is as much part of the Pat Wethmar’s kitchen activities as gathering family recipes and fetching herbs from her garden. The story of how she met her late husband Wimpie, founder of Chalmar Beef isoften told in this generous kitchen. The old saying ‘big things have small beginnings’’ certainly rings true for their life together.            “Wimpie started Chalmar Beef in 1969 when he was still at school,” she recalls. They met eight years later when he came to buy calves from her Olifantsfontein. They tied the knot a few months later, settling in Bapsfontein on the farm where they lived until his passing in 2014.         “He was passionate about cattle and agriculture. It’s wonderful that he saw his dream fulfilled and knowing that the next generation will build on what he started. Times were pretty tough in those early days. Payday was something we savoured as it meant we could have friends over for dinner. It would start with creamed herring, followed by steaks with a side. Wimpie devoured his 1 kg T-bone with glee, keeping space for a large scoop of vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. He often spoke about having a steakhouse with a small group of friends – a timeshare of sorts, where each had a key and could prepare as much steak as they wanted for their own family and friends.”         A guest chef in the Chalmar Farm Kitchen         Anja Bands also lives on a farm in Bapsfontein and has a longstanding relationship with Chalmar Beef.

She brings her food mantra to the Chalmar Farm Kitchen: “I believe in family meals and bringing people together at the table; I believe in old recipes with a new twist and that real flavour can only come from real food. I believe that only the best meat - Chalmar Beef and Lamb – will do.”

Food Focus

The start of a new year brings its own rhythm in the Chalmar Farm Kitchen. It’s a time for new beginnings, with easy dinners and  back-to-work-and-school activities taking centre stage. Chef Anja Bands and Chalmar matriarch Pat Wethmar turn to mince for inspiration.