L. H. Hayward – In-House Training

Beans Done Right

The Hayward family history in this country dates back to the 1830s, when Sawyer Hayward, an Englishman, arrived in New Orleans via the West Indies and embarked on what proved to be an immensely successful career in the mercantile and agricultural trading business. The city’s Caribbean and Creole population had created a strong demand for dried beans, and the enterprising Hayward supplied dry goods and produce to retail vendors in the French Market. Later, his grandson, Lucius H. Hayward Sr., focused his efforts on foodways and  founded the family’s bean company

L.H. Hayward Jr., the son of a New Orleans mercantile family, began his career as a horse-and-buggy traveling salesman for the developing National Biscuit Company, later to become known as ‘Nabisco’. He later opened his own wholesale dry goods business along the Mississippi River on Front Street in New Orleans, where he offered dried beans and peas and founded L.H. Hayward & Company in 1923, creators of the New Orleans famous Camellia Brand Beans, Peas and Lentils.

What makes Camellia Brand Beans Different?

Well, there are government standards, and then there’s “the Hayward standard.” That’s the name the bean growers we do business with – some for generations – give to beans above the top USDA grade. Because the Hayward family has always ordered premium beans that exceed those levels,that level of quality was dubbed “The Hayward standard” by our suppliers. They set these beans aside for Camellia Brand because while others might go for a lower price, the Haywards go for the highest quality.

The Camellia Brand logo has long been the symbol that assures you that these are the most delicious, creamy, flavorful, and high-quality beans you’ll ever find on a grocery store shelf. Why the Camellia flower? It is thought to be one of the oldest blossoms in the South, and Mrs. Hayward’s favorite.

Today, L.H. Hayward and Camellia brand is still owned and operated by the Hayward family and continues to produce the iconic Camellia Brand Red Beans that are woven into the fabric of the New Orleans culture.

When BRC updated their audit requirements from Issue 7 to Issue 8, L.H. Hayward reached out to Food Safety and Quality Services to request a customized training class for their employees.

BRC Issue 8

Customized Training Needed

L.H. Hayward and Company (Camellia Beans) has a high standard for food safety and quality and is a BRC certified facility.  When BRC updated their audit requirements from Issue 7 to Issue 8, L.H. Hayward reached out to Food Safety and Quality Services to request a training class for their employees.  They needed to train several employees so they knew that an in-house class would be the more efficient way to go.  Some employees were familiar with BRC and needed a refresher for Issue 8, while others were newer employees and needed to understand the full scope of the requirements. They also wanted attendees to have the opportunity to ask questions in order to gain clarification on any of the requirements that had been unclear to them in the past.  For this reason, they requested a personalized training program that would meet these needs.

Customized BRC Training Delivered Onsite

Understanding the new requirements for BRC Issue 8

Food Safety and Quality Services developed a customized BRC Issue 8 training class for L.H. Hayward and performed an on-site training at their Elmwood facility.  We covered the full standard of requirements for BRC during the course, giving their newer employees a great overall understanding of the standard and how it translated to the procedures they performed on a daily basis.  During the training, we spent extra time on the new requirements for Issue 8, so everyone could ask questions and get a clear understanding of what would need to be developed and implemented before their next audit.  Lance had recently taken an auditor’s BRC Issue 8 course and was able to give attendees a good understanding of what the auditors will be looking for during their next audit.

The on-site class not only satisfied their need for training, it was also a great team-building exercise and helped to solidify their efforts toward continuous improvement and maintaining their BRC certification.