FSA and HallMark Continue Joint Abattoir Visits – Spalding Area Focus

FSA and HallMark Visit Pilgrim’s and Myton Food Group in Spalding

As part of the ongoing collaboration between HallMark Veterinary and Compliance Services and the Food Standards Agency (FSA), joint visits were carried out on Thursday 19 June at two abattoirs in the Spalding area, reinforcing both organisations’ commitment to delivering high standards in food safety, animal welfare, and official controls.

This latest round of visits was attended by Penny Thorne, Director at HallMark; Luis Castromil, Head of Official Controls; and Rita Boto, Senior Veterinary Manager for Area E1. Representing the FSA were Kevin Maher, Head of Animal Welfare, Contracts & SLAs, and Chris Barr, ITL for Cluster 13.

The team visited two key Food Business Operators—Pilgrim’s and Myton Food Group (formerly Woodhead Brothers)—where they met with site management, frontline Official Veterinarians (OVs), Meat Hygiene Inspectors (MHIs).

The visit provided an opportunity to:

• Observe joint delivery of official controls under the new E1 contract

• Engage directly with food business operators and operational teams

• Gather feedback on the transition to the new delivery model

Kevin Maher expressed his thanks to the FBO teams, describing the visits as “a great opportunity for both FSA and HallMark senior management to make joint introductions to frontline colleagues and site leads.” He praised the “excellent team ethic” and “smooth transition,” noting in particular the strong working relationships seen on site.

Penny Thorne, Director at HallMark, commented:
“It was a pleasure to visit the teams in Spalding and hear firsthand how well the transition is going. Seeing the collaboration between OVs, MHIs, and site management was particularly encouraging, it’s a testament to the professionalism of everyone involved and our shared commitment to delivering consistent, trusted official controls.”

HallMark and the FSA would like to extend their thanks to the teams at Pilgrim’s and Myton Food Group for hosting the visits and for their continued partnership in supporting official control delivery.

These joint visits continue to highlight the importance of transparency, cooperation, and mutual support between regulators, delivery partners, and industry, ensuring that animal welfare and food safety remain at the forefront of abattoir operations.

From left to right: Luis Castromil (HallMark), OV Zuzana (HallMark), Chris Barr (FSA ITL Cluster 13), Rita Boto (HallMark) and Kevin Maher (FSA) during the joint visit to Myton Food Group, Spalding.

From left to right: Luis Castromil (HallMark Head of Official Controls), OV Zuzana, Rita Boto (Senior Veterinary Manager – E1), Penny Thorne (Director, HallMark), and Kevin Maher (FSA Head of Animal Welfare, Contracts & SLAs).