Eating at Bushy park - Useless!!!!

[alison222]

We recently were at Bushy park and went into the Pheasant cafe on a cold morning. DS has multiple allergies, and he wanted a bacon buttie. To be safe I asked them to double check the bread ingredients ( buns have been known to be brushed with egg, or have sesame in them). The cook came out and told me that their bread comes in big boxes that have the ingredients on and they throw them straight out so they have no idea of the ingredients. I was .
I e-mailed the parks and have had a reply saying they are sorry about the service I received and that they have appointed a new additional front of house person.
How is this going to help unless they change their whole attitude.
I have e-mailed back to make this point.

I have not come across such an attitude in the UK before - at least they are normally apologetic if they don't know what is in something - usually because it comes from the bakers or the butchers.

What have you found?

Same thing happened to us in a pub. Chef came marching out ,all puffed up and angry saying he did not have a clue what was in the fish fingers .
I was so angry and quite upset because at the time was quite new to taking ds out.
I couldn't really make a fuss cos my inlaws were treating us to a meal at the time. I have never been back to that pub.

This sort of thing will have to change over the next couple of years as the new EU laws on food labelling come into force not just for pre-packaged food but also loose food (eg bakery items) and food in restaurants/cafes etc. Can't come quick enough for us! We rarely eat out because of DS's allergies (plus DD is coeliac) and I only feel safe going somewhere that publishes their allergy info/ingredients online so I can check beforehand.

I hope it does. Its very difficult if you go into somewhere and you sit down to find that you can't eat. I have taken to quizzing the waiting staff before we sit down.
I found it very difficult when we were on holiday in Oz as everything seemed to have been bought in from the butchers or bakers. One lovely place tried to ring the bakers - it was lunchtime - but they were already closed. It makes you wonder what people with allergies do over there.

Hmmm, to be honest I am surprised at your reaction. I usually suspect that people in cafes don't have a clue what they are selling and while I have had a similar experience there (me: are there nuts in this cake? Waiter: All cakes may have traces of nuts, me: I know but that wasn't my question), I have also had the same in almost every other restaurant/cafe I have been to. And I think it's fair enough, why should the people who serve you know every single ingredient in the food they sell? IMO eating out carries a risk and you need to weigh it up... I usually make sure I have something in my bag that DD can eat.

I disagree Schulte, I think anywhere that serves food has a responsibility to know what is in the food they are serving and whilst I'm not saying they should be able to 100% guarantee that the food is safe for those with allergies I also don't think they should be able to just shrug and say 'no idea'. We rarely eat out due to DS's allergies and DD being coeliac because the generally poor attitudes of so many restaurants/cafes puts me off but I don't believe that it should be this way and it really needs to change. Twenty years ago vegetarians had the same sort of problems but these days they are (generally) well catered for so why should it be any different for those with allergies? My veggie friends don't expect a waiter to say 'no idea' when asked which dishes contain meat so why is it any different for other ingredients like milk or egg? Yes, there is always an element of risk involved when eating out with allergies but there are lots of things the catering industry could and should be doing to minimise those risks. Having something in your bag for DD to eat when she's little is fine but there comes a point when this is no longer accepatable and what happens then? Or indeed when she starts going out on her own?

I agree with everything you say freefrom. Eating out is a risk but people with allergies should be able to enjoy doing it just like everyone else. Any decent chef should be able to tell you what is in the food he is cooking including items he has bought in from butchers & bakers. We had great experience last summer eating in a restaurant which really proved to me that people with allergies can eat out. I asked the waitress to ask the chef what was dairy & egg free on the kids menu & she came back with 4 or 5 choices & the chef was even able to tell us ds couldn't have the tomato sauce as milk in it. I could have kissed him! Pity the restaurant 2 hours drive away otherwise I would be there more often.

Schulte, I was not asking the waiting staff ( although I did start there). This was a conversation with the chef who told me that they do get bread in boxes with the ingredients on but that they THROW THEM OUT and so she doesn't keep them.

To update on this I complained to the royal parks who run Bushy Park to see what kind of response I got back. Apparently they have taken steps to see that this sort of thing does not reoccur and have appointed an additional front of house manager who will be responsible for being able to find out the ingredients in their food. We do not live very close to the park so I have not been back to find out if this has been done yet.

I would be interested if there is anyone who lives nearby to find out if this really works in practice.

Have severe nut and peanut allergy, am food adviser for Anaphylaxis Campaign and also train chefs, nurseries etc independently as Allergy Action. So much of the above rings true. Don't forget that you can complain to your local authority (Trading Standards or Environmental Health) if you have been sold food which was mislabelled, misdescribed, not what you asked for or if you think you have been misled. If practical (and after dealing with any emergency obviously) keep samples / packets / labels etc. The new Food Information Regulation requires a business to tell you which of certain key allergens are ingredients in non prepacked food across the EU. (See eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:304:0018:0063:EN:PDF if you have a mind for such things.) Older food safety law has been used to prosecute in a few cases. www.ctajournal.com/content/pdf/2045-7022-1-S1-O1.pdf
We collect case reports and use them (anonymously if appropriate) in training / lectures, and can support / advise if required.

Thanks Hazel! I've made your links active below

first link

second

Has this directive been adopted in the UK yet Hazel do you know?

Thanks Claire.
To Alison: The regulation 1169/2011 EC was adopted in December 2011 but businesses have three years to comply before any prosecution may take place. In the mean time, existing law eg 178/2002 EC General Food Law still requires suppliers not to mislead, and not to sell unsafe food (eg by providing incorrect information about it, whether written or oral).