Top tips for gluten-free success

Check out our tips for gluten-free success to help you cater for your customers with coeliac disease.

Offer a choice of gluten-free dishes on your menu that do not contain any ingredients derived from wheat, barley, rye or oats.  These could be indicated by printing 'GF' alongside suitable options, to make it clear to customers. Make sure that waiting staff are aware of which choices are gluten-free.

Take care when buying ready-made foods or processed ingredients for gluten-free dishes that they do not contain gluten.

• Many ingredients are naturally gluten-free including: balsamic, spirit and wine vinegars; bicarbonate of soda; cream of tartar; coconut milk/cream; custard powder; fish sauce; gelatine; yeast
• Some ingredients may contain gluten, including:
  soy sauce; baking powder; gravy powder; bouillon; mayonnaise; mustard.

Ensure that no ingredients used in your gluten-free dishes are contaminated with gluten, either during storage, preparation, cooking or serving.  The foods you use may be gluten-free but it is important to ensure that they remain so throughout their preparation.  Some of the easiest ways to avoid contamination include:

• Separate storage of gluten-free foods
• Designated toaster or separate/cleaned grill or BBQ
• Separate chopping boards and utensils
• Easy to clean work surfaces
• Uncontaminated butter/jams etc.
• Care when serving

Your whole team should be aware of the need to treat gluten-free customers sensitively, to help them choose their meal with confidence and to communicate their needs to the kitchen in order that their meal will be safe and enjoyable.  You will need to ensure that all your staff are aware of the needs of gluten-free customers, how to provide safe dishes for them and how to ensure they have an enjoyable experience.  Should you or any of your staff have any queries regarding the suitability of any foods, please contact us.

Make every effort to ensure that your gluten-free customers have the same quality of eating experience and choice as any other customers.  Clearly, it is important that customers requiring gluten-free food enjoy their dining experience with you.  This is best achieved when they feel that they are treated the same as all your other customers.  Please try to avoid bringing their requirements to the attention of other diners and also understand that some may feel nervous or awkward about asking about your gluten-free options.

Remember that if their experience is positive, they are very likely to recommend your venue to other people who require a gluten-free diet and become regular customers.  Our new online venue guide, ‘Eating Out Without’ gives listings of venues recommended by Members of Coeliac UK which Members can search to find a suitable venue.

For more information

• Download our free catering toolkit
• Try our seasonal, gluten-free recipe
• Buy gluten-free recipe books from our shop
• Contact us for more information