We take the quality of what we do and make seriously, applying 'big company' standards to our operations.

Our quality systems are certified to BS/DS EN ISO9001:2008. We use HACCP to manage risk and Lean for efficiency. We pride ourselves on delivering on specification first time, on time.

When it comes to quality management we try to follow our own advice - "eating our own dog food" as the saying goes.

We carry out a regular programme of internal audits, and welcome external audits by customers and third party auditors.

We try hard to be proactive in the areas of continuous improvement and root cause analysis. Every day we aim to get a little better at what we do.

Regular customer satisfaction surveys play a key role in driving improvements in our company. Staff training and development are also important for us in delivering high quality services to our customers. We have been recognized as an Investor in People since 2000, evidence of our commitment to excellence in staff training and development.

Our facilities are located in the two of the most respected scientific establishments in the UK and Denmark.

Our UK laboratories are housed within the Leatherhead Food Research building in Leatherhead, Surrey, UK. Our Danish operations are based within the Carlsberg Research Center in Valby, near Copenhagen, Denmark.

Our UK facility has well-equipped yeast and fermentation laboratories with dedicated areas for cryogenic storage of yeast, yeast culture preparation, yeast testing, yeast propagation, fermentation trials, and microbiological testing; a dedicated beer flavour laboratory equipped with a variety of analysis equipment, including Gas Chromatography and SPME-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry equipment; modern air-conditioned offices for our consultants, software developers and administration staff.

Our Danish operations - the Alfred Jørgensen Laboratory -  has extensive yeast propagation and fermentation facilities, together with state-of-the-art cryogenic storage of yeast.

Looking for the 'next big thing' is in our blood! - research & development has been critical to our success.

Cara staff have carried out research and development projects in areas which include yeast and fermentation, flavour and sensory science, analytical chemistry, rapid microbiology and software development. Collectively they have published more than 150 scientific papers, books and book chapters and patent specifications.

We have presented papers and posters at a number of national and international conferences and symposia, including the World Brewing Congress, European Brewery Convention, Institute of Brewing & Distilling Africa and Asia Pacific Conventions, Master Brewers of the Americas Conventions and American Society of Brewing Chemists meetings.

In addition to confidential research and development work carried out on behalf of clients we fund an internal R&D programme in the areas of rapid microbiological detection techniques, brewing yeast strain development, beer flavour technology and innovative web technologies.