Kokova Magazine

New allergen regulations* due to come into force in December this year (2014) have been sending shock waves through the pub trade.

With only a few exceptions, catering for those with allergies or coeliac disease has not been where pubs have traditionally gone - but they could be missing out on a significant chunk of business.

Recent market reports suggest that up to 30% of the population now eat free-from (usually gluten or dairy free) at least part of the time. But surveys of these groups suggest that many of them eat or drink out up to six time less often that the normal population - both because the choice they are offered is so limited and because they worry the pub or restaurant does not understand their allergy and the food may make them ill.

Those with serious allergies rarely eat or drink out at all. And of course that also restricts the number of times that their family and friends will eat or drink out.

But times are a'changing. In the retail world, free-from gluten and dairy free food is now big business - predicted to top half a billion pounds by 2017. And many of those companies making free-from lasagnes and chocolate puddings to go into Tesco or Sainsbury are only too keen to adapt them to go into free-from food service outlets.

Meanwhile, the quality of gluten-free beer has improved out of all measure (it is now winning awards even when set again normal beers) - as has its availability.

Yes - having a good free-from offer does also include the outlet and its staff having a reasonable understanding of food allergy and the principles of contamination - the aspect of allergy which concerns pubs and restaurants most. But, when you get down to it, allergen contamination and control is no more than an extension of the basic hygiene measures which apply through out any food or drink serving outlet.

Just as you would never, for example, cut raw chicken with the same knife or on the same board as you would cut bread, so you should never gut a gluten-free pie with the same knife and on the same board as you would cut a gluten-filled one.

And the benefits of getting it right can be very significant. Not only are we talking about the sheer numbers who currently eat and drink out far less often than they would like to. But because provision for coeliacs and food allergic people in food service is currently so poor, when free-from-ers do find a pub or restaurant that can offer them a good choice of interesting, safe dishes, they are hugely loyal and supportive.

They will return frequently, bringing friends and family, and they will promote the outlet widely through their own networks and social media channels. (Most food sensitive people are very social media savvy as social media provide them with a great way to link up with other with similar problems.)

So, not only are you getting a whole network of new, loyal and enthusiastic customers but you are getting a whole load of free promotion.

More in the way of free or very cheap promotion is being offered by new awards, the free-from Eating Out Awards, in which there is a category specifically for pubs and pub restaurants.

Run by the team who have run very successful awards for the retail trade, the free-from Food Awards for the last seven years, they aim to raise awareness and set a standard of excellence for free-from in food service.

Open to entry now, the awards will be independently judged and all winners and shortlisted establishments will be given distinctive logos to use to attract new free-from customers. Entrants will also be given a free manual on catering for allergic customers.

For more information, see www.free-fromeatingoutawards.co.uk

*All food service outlet will have to be able to tell customers if any of their foods contain any of the 14 major allergens: Cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, molluscs, eggs, fish, peanuts, nuts, soybeans, milk, celery, mustard, sesame, lupin and sulphur dioxide at levels above 10mg/kg, or 10 mg/litre, expressed as SO2.

Courtesy of Michelle Berriedale-Johnson - www.free-frommatters.com

Pouring Beer © Petr Kratochvil