Front of house · 4 minute read
Handling allergies and dietary needs
For everyone who takes an order. This is general practice: your venue’s own allergen procedures and your local food law come first.
An allergic reaction can be severe, and it can happen within minutes. You are the link between the guest and the kitchen. Treat every allergy you hear about as real, even when it sounds minor.
Ask at the table, even if the booking already mentions an allergy. Write it clearly on the docket so it travels with the order. Then go to the pass and tell the chef in person.
“Before I take your order, does anyone have an allergy or dietary need I should tell the kitchen about?”
“No allergies, right?”
“I'm not sure, so I'll check with the chef and come straight back to you.”
“It should be fine, I don't think there's any in it.”
Allergy, intolerance or preference
- Allergy: the immune system reacts. Even a trace can cause a severe reaction.
- Coeliac disease: an immune reaction to gluten. Crumbs can cause harm, so treat it as strictly as an allergy.
- Intolerance: the body struggles with a food. It causes real discomfort but is usually not life threatening.
- Preference: a choice, such as vegan or no onion. Respect it just as carefully.
You cannot always tell which one a guest has, and you do not need to. If they say allergy, handle it as an allergy. Common allergens include peanuts, tree nuts, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, sesame, soy and wheat.
Cross-contact is when an allergen gets into a safe dish by accident, through a shared fryer, utensil or board. Telling the kitchen lets them prevent it. Carry that plate on its own, never stacked with others.
If a guest reacts
Watch for swelling of the lips, face or tongue, hives, coughing, wheezing, vomiting or trouble breathing. A reaction can get worse fast, so act straight away.
- 1Get your manager or first aider at once. Call out for help if you need to.
- 2Call emergency services: 000 in Australia, 911 in Canada. Say it may be anaphylaxis.
- 3Stay with the guest. Never leave them alone or send them to the bathroom or outside.
- 4If they carry an adrenaline auto-injector, help them use it or follow their instructions.
- 5Let them lie down, or sit if breathing is hard. Do not let them stand or walk.
Check yourself
A guest mentions a mild nut allergy when ordering. What do you do?
- Note it, but skip the kitchen since it is mild
- Write it on the docket and tell the chef in person
- Suggest a dish with no obvious nuts in it
- Ask them to check the menu themselves
Show the answer
B. Every allergy is treated as real. Writing it down and telling the kitchen in person means the people cooking actually know.
In the Academy this lesson ends with questions like this one, and every answer has to be right for the lesson to count.