When a procurement manager at a hotel group, university, or contract catering company adds a new food supplier to their approved list, one question comes up before anything else: what certification does the supplier hold?
For most food categories, this is a formality. The major suppliers to these channels are certified as a matter of course. For Indian curry sauces and gravy bases, it is anything but. The majority of suppliers in this category — including several that have been selling into foodservice for decades — do not hold BRCGS A+ certification.
This matters more than most kitchens realise.
What BRCGS A+ certification actually means
BRCGS stands for Brand Reputation through Compliance Global Standards. It is the world's most widely recognised food safety certification framework and is the standard explicitly required by most major UK food retail and foodservice procurement frameworks — including NHS supply chains, university catering contracts, hotel group supplier approval processes, and local authority catering tenders.
The certification is not self-assessed. It requires an annual unannounced audit by an accredited third-party certification body. The A+ grade specifically is the highest achievable score — it means the facility was audited with no major non-conformances and minimal minor observations.
For a product to carry BRCGS A+ status, the following must be demonstrably true:
- The production facility operates to the highest documented food safety standards
- Every ingredient is sourced from verified, traceable suppliers
- The allergen management process is independently audited
- Batch records, production logs and quality checks meet the strictest documentary requirements
- Product specifications match what is actually produced, consistently, batch to batch
When a supplier cannot provide a current BRCGS certificate, none of the above is independently verified.
Why most Indian curry sauce suppliers don't have it
The UK's Indian curry sauce supply chain grew organically from the restaurant trade. Most suppliers started as manufacturers for independent restaurants, where the primary qualification was taste and price. BRCGS certification was never a requirement in that market, so it was never pursued.
When those same suppliers began selling into institutional foodservice — hotels, contract caterers, universities — the certification gap became a problem. Some have since pursued BRCGS. Many have not.
The result is a market where buyers who require BRCGS certification are forced to choose between compliant products that taste average, or excellent products they cannot put through procurement. Neither is a good outcome.
The procurement consequences of choosing a non-certified supplier
For kitchens operating within institutional catering frameworks, using a non-certified supplier is not a minor compliance gap — it is a potential audit failure.
If your kitchen is audited and you are using an Indian curry sauce from a supplier without current, valid BRCGS certification, the product cannot be defended as meeting your procurement framework's standards. This is particularly acute for:
NHS and healthcare catering — patient-facing food operations are subject to the most stringent supplier qualification requirements of any catering environment. An uncertified supplier will fail a supply chain audit.
University catering — most university catering contracts, particularly those run by major contract catering groups, require BRCGS as a minimum from all ambient food suppliers.
Hotel groups — F&B directors at branded hotel groups are responsible for supplier qualification across their portfolio. A supplier without BRCGS cannot be recommended for group-wide use, regardless of product quality.
Local authority catering — council-run catering operations, including school meals programmes, typically operate under procurement frameworks that require BRCGS or equivalent certification.
What A+ means versus A, B or ungraded
Many buyers know to ask for "BRCGS certification" without distinguishing between grades. The difference matters.
A BRCGS B or C grade indicates a facility that passed but with significant observations or non-conformances — issues that the auditor flagged as requiring corrective action. An A grade means a strong pass. An A+ grade means a pass at the highest scoring level with proactive food safety practices that go beyond basic compliance.
For procurement teams assessing suppliers for institutional use, only A or A+ should be considered acceptable. B grade or below indicates a facility with active compliance issues.
Choosing your supplier
The Fresh Curry holds BRCGS A+ certification — the highest grade. We can provide the current certificate, full ingredient traceability documentation, and a completed allergen matrix for each product on request.
If you are working through a supplier approval process and need documentation to support onboarding, contact us and we will turn it around within one business day. Alternatively, if you want to trial the product before committing, request a free sample pack — no charge, no obligation.