Claire Morgan, our Community Projects Officer has a severe nut allergy. Over the years she has encountered different responses to her allergy and would like to share these experiences with you.
Growing up with an allergy
I’ve known since I was less than 5 years old that I have a nut allergy. My initial adverse reactions were mild and, growing up in the sixties/seventies, we didn’t pay much attention to them and had never heard of anyone else having a similar allergy. That all changed in the 80’s when nut allergies became more widely reported, sadly due to fatalities. This coincided with me unknowingly eating satay which resulted in a more serious reaction, and I have carried Epipens ever since – no tiny handbags for me!
Allergy legislation has made a difference but it’s led to some interesting experiences
There are of course many other food allergies too and we now have legislation to protect consumers. Food businesses need to tell customers if the food they are providing contains any of fourteen listed allergens. This is great news for people like me but does lead to some interesting and variable experiences in restaurants.
I try to let restaurants know about my allergy in advance but that’s not always possible. When I’m with my family they’re resigned to the issues we can have ordering our meals but, when I’m with friends or work colleagues it’s a moment I dread, because it makes me feel conspicuous and often creates a delay. Restaurants respond to allergies in many ways, so here’s a list of some of my experiences, starting with the best:
- The main menu has all allergens listed. I can make an informed choice from same menu as everyone else and I don’t feel conspicuous.
- I’m given a larger hard copy of the usual menu with the allergens listed. On a ferry with a large buffet, this can be mighty tome (I’m not kidding, picture a book too large to fit on your lap and then factor in the length of time it took for the manager to find it, and me to read through it). The restaurant was empty by the time we had finished our meal.
- ‘We don’t use any nuts in the kitchen.’ Unless you then look at the menu and see dishes with nuts in the title which has happened to me more than once.
- I’m given a tablet to look at to see the allergen menu. May take a while to navigate.
- I’m asked to scan a QR code to see the allergens. Requires a smart phone and a reasonable WiFi connection. May also take a while to navigate.
- They insist on sending the manager to the table to take my order (not necessarily everyone else’s). This can create a significant delay for me and worse, for everyone else.
- They insist on cooking all my food separately. On one occasion my husband had finished his dessert before my starter arrived. Not the best date night we’ve had.
- I have to place my order on an app. This last one has only happened once, and I won’t be returning for a second attempt. I was advised I had to time my order to coincide with the others ordering verbally at the table. There was very little WiFi connection and it took ages, making me feel very rude and antisocial for being on my mobile phone for so long. It was even more frustrating that the chef was cooking the pizzas less than 3 metres away from our table. The very helpful waitress was very embarrassed and apologetic.
Does the quality of a restaurant make a difference?
Interestingly, the quality of the restaurant seems to make no difference here. At a recent meal in a high-end well-known chain, I was told by the waitress that ‘they weren’t really very allergy friendly’ and her best advice was the steak. Not the chips though as they couldn’t guarantee they hadn’t been contaminated. In a restaurant in Venice, I was also told they would only serve me steak. When I asked what I could have with it, they offered lettuce. They seemed surprised when we left. I have no idea what they would have done if I had been vegetarian – just lettuce?
There have of course been many small independent restaurants over the years, who cook everything from fresh and for whom an unexpected allergy is no problem and I for one, am very grateful for them.
Why have I written this blog?
The impetus for writing this blog is my realisation of how my varying restaurant experiences make me feel: frustrated, irritated, self-conscious, awkward, conspicuous and a nuisance.
I am extremely fortunate that other than ordering meals I have seldom felt excluded, left out or ‘different’. That said, I did once attend a work black tie gala dinner with hundreds of men and about five women – sailing past the queue for the Gents to go to the Ladies toilets was a joy. There are some benefits to being in the minority!
Thinking about my experiences, I realise that one of the reasons I enjoy working at Action Hampshire is the focus on inclusivity in so many of the projects we work on. My allergy experiences have given me a very small taste (no pun intended!) of what it must be like for those society perceives and labels as ‘different’. I read recently that in Canada, refugees and asylum seekers are referred to as Newcomers or New Canadians, intentionally designed wording to make them feel welcome. A simple change to make a positive difference.
Take care over the festive season!
As we’re now firmly in the festive season with hopefully plenty of opportunities to ‘eat, drink and be merry’, have fun, stay safe (especially if you have an allergy!) and if you have also had some ‘interesting’ restaurant experiences to share do let me know. claire.morgan@actionhampshire.org
The Food Standards Agency has more information about food allergies.
