Success story: La Crème Patisserie
Background
Founded in 2005 by Sian and Ian Hindle, La Crème Patisserie produces over 50,000 cakes, seasonal desserts and patisserie items each week for foodservice customers across the UK. These include events venues, stadia, racecourses, airlines and hotels such as the Celtic Manor Resort and Center Parcs.
La Crème Patisserie’s SALSA certified production kitchen is based in Cwmbran, with an additional patisserie in Baglan, Neath Port Talbot. One of the UK’s most widely recognised food safety certification schemes, SALSA plays a vital role in helping manufacturers secure major retail and foodservice listings.
Support from ZERO2FIVE
La Crème Patisserie is an established client of ZERO2FIVE, having previously received support with internal audits against the SALSA standard. In 2026, the company once again engaged ZERO2FIVE for support in the lead-up to its SALSA audit.
The initial project involved delivering a comprehensive pre-audit covering the four key sections of the SALSA standard – prerequisite controls, HACCP, premises and management systems. A ZERO2FIVE technologist carried out a systems audit, reviewing all the company’s paperwork and internal processes, and provided guidance on any minor adjustments that were required to ensure audit readiness.
Further bespoke support was also delivered to help La Crème Patisserie with a pre-audit for a major prospective customer. The work involved knowledge transfer of best practice for implementing a metal detection procedure within their current manufacturing process and integrating it into their HACCP food safety management system. In addition, ZERO2FIVE provided in-depth guidance on risk assessing zoning (low risk versus high-care areas) within their factory. Assessment of the company’s existing machinery and factory design were carried out, and proformas and procedures were shared that could be used to strengthen compliance.
Benefits of the support
As a result of the support from ZERO2FIVE, La Crème Patisserie successfully passed their SALSA audit. Maintaining this certification is vital for the company to supply a number of their existing customers and it has enabled the company to safeguard 33 jobs within the business and retain sales of £2.4 million.
ZERO2FIVE’s support also enabled La Crème Patisserie to successfully pass the bespoke audit with the prospective customer, helping to secure approval for a potential contract worth £100,000.
With the planned introduction of SALSA Issue 7 in 2026, ZERO2FIVE will support La Crème Patisserie through the transition to the updated standard, offering targeted mentoring and undertaking additional internal audits to ensure full compliance and readiness.
Robert Hindle, Operations Director, La Crème Patisserie, said:
“The benefits of the Welsh Government funded support from ZERO2FIVE have been significant. It has enabled us to maintain our SALSA approval while driving continuous improvement across our food safety management systems. Importantly, it also supported us in securing approval to supply a new major customer with a £100,000 contract value.”
“We would highly recommend working with ZERO2FIVE. The team’s depth of expertise, access to state‑of‑the‑art facilities, and consistently professional and responsive approach make them an invaluable partner for any food business looking to grow and develop.
Get in touch with us
If you’d like to find out more about how we can help your business or have any questions about the support we can offer, then please get in touch.
