Safety.

Safety is paramount to everything we do, so it was a pleasure to host state agencies and industry colleagues for a special meeting regarding it at the Eccentric Cafe. We teamed up with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) for “Coffee with MIOSHA.” The event allowed brewers, winemakers and distillers to talk to the agencies about workplace safety and health, liquor licensing and enforcement. During the event, our Safety Manager David Currier and members of the Brewers Association’s Safety Committee shared a new safety module about health and safety in the craft beer industry. “Bell’s Brewery was pleased to host this event,” David said. “Sharing our space and the safety tools developed by the Brewers Association and Master Brewers Association of the Americas is all part of our ‘safety always’ culture.” The program was developed with grant funding from Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration. To learn more, check out LARA’s website. Check out the safety in brewing modules from the Brewers Association and the Master Brewers Association of the Americas.

Bell’s Brewery, Inc., in partnership with Covance Laboratories, Inc. in Battle Creek and the Kalamazoo County Environmental Health Department, is excited to announce the inaugural HACCP Food Safety Training course. The Introduction to Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point is the first of its kind in Kalamazoo County and designed for individuals with little or no HACCP experience. The two-day course consists of lectures and group exercises that will provide the necessary tools for HACCP certification. It will be held at Bell’s Eccentric Café in downtown Kalamazoo on August 26 and 27 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. “Safety, along with quality, are our top priorities at Bell’s and we want to help make sure that other businesses here in West Michigan have the tools necessary to make sure that proper procedures and safe food handling are the norm,” said Jason Reicherts, Director of Retail for Bell’s. “We are also in the process of developing our own menu of house cured meats and fermented foods. The careful research and planning for that led us to the realization that there was both an audience and a need for this type of training,” he said. The course is accredited through the International HACCP Alliance and spots are limited. Cost is $200 per person which includes a continental breakfast and lunch both days provided by the Café. Call 269-250-8485 or email jreicherts@bellsbeer.com to register. Download the flyer [PDF]