Eating Out Nightmare.

My partner and I, plus one, went to a restaurant just before Christmas that we've frequented on several occasions without mishap. On this occasion however virtually all the staff had changed and some couldn't even converse in English. Part way through the meal my partner became ill and we went home where the illness seemed to pass. However, I became ill as she became better and the third person with us that night was also ill it appeared. I reported all this to the head office of the chain and was eventually informed that the problem had been identified as cross contamination on the cutting table. We received our money back plus a very small sum extra, an apology and some advice on what to do, look for and expect in their other restaurants.

Two weeks ago all three of us visited another of the chains restaurants and put into practice what we'd learned.

My partner suffers from Coeliac disease, which means that any gluten can cause issues. Imagine our horror when after asking for the allergens list we received 17 pages of detailed lists of just about every food on offer contained gluten.

It seems that vegetables when not on the carvery bench are gluten free , but on the carvery bench they are! What's the difference? Butter apparently. Now how does butter contain gluten? It also turned out that the kitchen manager wasn't fully aware of everything that was on offer that night containing gluten as he made several foo pahs when discussing what was suitable.

The bigger horror was that when being seated the waitress is trained to take drinks orders. My partner, as a treat, ordered coffee. Imagine what it was like when we found out that their freshly ground coffee contains gluten, and not only that, but her favourite beverage, tea, also contains gluten. How can tea contain gluten? A cup of tea is tea leaves, boiling water and cows milk, how does gluten get in that mix? Freshly ground coffee isn't any different, so what are this chain doing to our drinks?

No-one,according to the manager, is trained to ask guests if they have any allergen reactions before offering drinks and nor were any of them trained to be aware of the gluten content in tea and coffee!

Has anyone else ever been made Ill because of this sort of thing? Is anyone as surprised as we were that this sort of thing occurs?

luv2spin said:

A Professor of Endocrinology told me that it is due to the Cross-Contamination.

Please have a look at the following link which I have found at random if It may partly answer your question. Regards

http://www.celiac.ca/?page_id=679

Click to expand...

Thanks for that

douglas99 said:

Catering butter can contain gluten because it's often prepared for the diner with accompanying bread, and the same utensils can be used for both.
Tea and coffee can be prepared and packaged in a plant that processes grains and flour.
Vegetables can be prepared in the same area's as pasta, yorkshire puddings, and frozen bread products.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the explanation

col101 said:

Sounds to me like they are covering their backside in case any utensil or board used for a gluten containing ingredient touches something else. Personally I'd give the whole chain a miss, be interested to know who it is off your willing to say?

Click to expand...

Maybe once they've come back to me and decided how they're going to proceed and handle things in the future.

douglas99 said:

Pizza's are always a nightmare unless they have a specific gluten free oven, as the bases will cross contaminate off the belt.

Click to expand...

Not strictly true. All pizza's are cooked on separate metal pans which are a once only use before washing at very high temperatures, and then reused. So no cross-contamination should take place there. There's other areas in pizza production where cross contamination can occur if the operatives aren't careful.

douglas99 said:

I've never seen a pizza not overhang the tray.
My daughter isn't bad, so it's not an issue to her, even if they washed their hands, took care in the prep area, hadn't cross contaminated the topping with gluten from the flour and pizza bases, and selected a clean tray, part of the pizza always touches the belt somewhere.
Quote often she'll leave the crust, but more out of preference I suspect.

Click to expand...

I'd say that wherever that occurs you should be raising a complaint there and then and taking it further if it's a chain outlet.

No food reaction is good and no one should have to be made to feel unwanted as a guest in a restaurant simply because they ask for allergen information.