Ten Things Coeliacs Wished All Professional Food Providers Knew

The gluten free community is apparently a growing concern. When I was diagnosed as a coeliac 17 years ago we were still somewhat grouped together with alternate foodies who were assumed to border on hippy tendencies. In fact, in the spirit of full disclosure, prior to my actual diagnosis, I was one of the cynics. The thought ‘you are just being really annoying and surely you can eat some of this’ may have been entertained. So bad I know. Even after diagnosis, I remember thinking somewhat negative thoughts towards a fellow coeliac who asked at a BBQ for her sausages to be cooked prior to the other meats to avoid cross contamination. I thought oh good grief, how melodramatic…as if you can get sick from that!

Well…as each year passed and my sensitivity to gluten increased I came of course to understand the reality of cross contamination. Thankfully, the world has also started to catch up on the reality of coeliac disease and the scale of health issues that can result (HEAD HERE for a comprehensive list of symptoms of coeliac disease) if gluten is consumed, even from cross-contamination. (You can READ MORE on Cross Contamination here, and access our free downloadable doc on Coeliac Safe Food Prep).

However, as much as we celebrate the improved awareness, and the fact that so many restaurants now have gluten free items actually labelled on their menus, and in some cases making up to 75% of the menu options, these attitudes are still alive and well in many many cafes and restaurants out there, making the dining experience potentially difficult, not enjoyable and sometimes even traumatic for coeliacs.

SO…I thought I would clarify here for all the food professionals out there some of the attitudes that can be really upsetting if we encounter them when trying to eat out, and a few insights that hopefully might cause you to rethink your approach to catering for gluten free.

1. We bring non gluten free diners with us…it’s worth catering for us!

2. We expect to enjoy a meal we are expected to pay for.

3. We do not like to be made to feel annoying simply because we are hoping to enjoy our food & not get really sick afterwards.

4. We don’t want have to chat with wait staff for 30 minutes just to establish what we can eat…inform your staff. Use my Coeliac Safe Food Prep doc as a starting point…laminate & put on your kitchen walls!

5. We are not coeliac by choice. Gluten makes us very very sick.

6. Gluten free word of mouth is powerful…when we find somewhere that creates gluten free options that non gluten free diners are also expected to enjoy…we let all of our gluten free friends know about it and we keep coming back.

7. When we ask you if you cater for gluten free we mean ‘do you have menu items that are tasty and intrinsically gluten free’, NOT ‘can you remove gluten from an existing dish with no tasty/enjoyable alternative created to replace it’.

8. We are not automatically ALSO intolerant to dairy (we LOVE chocolate & cheese!)

9. We feel like second class diners when our request for gluten free options is met with disinterest or annoyance.

10. We feel like second class diners when all around us other diners are enjoying great food and we are served food with all flavour (sauces) and texture removed (yet still expected to pay the same).

So there you have it. We get that you might feel it will stifle your culinary creativity to have to cater gluten-free, but great chefs see it as a challenge to do gluten free well. And remember, if you choose to be kind to coeliacs, we will be very, very kind to you!

What would you have added to this list?