Shiggy: So, Funk Estates started in Wellington as a contract brewing company in 2012. Over Christmas last year we took over a brewery in Auckland, and here we are.
Jordan: We went and hired a food safety consultant to help us out through the process, and from there we registered with our local council, registered under a National Programme Level 3.
Shiggy: I have to train my staff to make sure that they understand food safety, make sure that they are wearing gumboots, a cap, and have clean hands. If staff are sick, I have to make sure that I send them home. I have a brew sheet, which is where I record my brewing. Basically I record everything. I fill up all the steps, check the pH, make sure that it’s within ideal range, and also make sure that all the malt and hops, everything that goes into the beer is safe by having the foods safety certificate from our suppliers. The record keeping is really important so that we can trace if there’s something went wrong. When we’re dispatching we keep the log: which beer, which batch, when did that beer brew and what package, going to where, when how. We have all that record.
Jordan: We have the complete ability to recall anything should we need to.
Shiggy: It’s really common sense, but because you think it’s common sense it’s likely to miss that when something happens. It’s always good to have that sort of regulation and practice in place.