Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be annoyed with restaurant

71 replies

Rochelaise18 · 13/07/2018 16:20

Accompanied one of my friend's to a funeral yesterday. After the wake we went to eat at a restaurant we've been to a few times. Due to my being gluten intolerant, we picked this restaurant as they serve gluten free dishes. We placed our order and I asked for gluten free garlic bread as the menu said they offered it and we had been informed it would be a 30 minute wait for our food. Friend also ordered some bread for herself.
The bread for my friend and my garlic bread was brought out and I noticed there wasn't a sticker to say it was gluten free. I asked the member of staff who brought the food out and she said it was gluten free.
I ate a couple of bites and realised that the taste was wrong. I asked the staff member who took our order and she said "I didn't understand you", snatched the plate away and walked off. She returned a few minutes later and stated they had no gluten free bread left. I told her I couldn't have anything with gluten in it and she walked off without offering to see if there was anything else I could have.
I raised a complaint with the manager and was told that I was wrong about what the member of staff had said, and that it was a misunderstanding, if I didn't agree that I was partly to blame, they would not make any record of what had happened, and that, if it made me ill to just go to my GP. I explained the consequences of eating even a small amount of gluten would mean me missing work and not being paid, only for it to be shrugged off with "not our fault".
Would I really be unreasonable to take this further than the manager I spoke to, as, while myself and my friend have said we will never eat there again, I do worry for anyone with a food intolerance eating there and the attitude of the manager I spoke with leaves me feeling they won't change their attitude.

OP posts:
ClandestineAdulation · 13/07/2018 16:23

Are you able to take it further? Is the manager also the owner or is it part of a chain etc?

knittingdad · 13/07/2018 16:27

Is this an issue the local council or the food standards agency ought to know about?

Original poster
Rochelaise18 · 13/07/2018 16:30

ClandestineAdulation It's a chain restaurant, so I could take it further.

OP posts:
Mitzimaybe · 13/07/2018 16:32

That is unacceptable. You should take it further.

AnastasiaVonBeaverhausen · 13/07/2018 16:33

Absolutely take it further, that's outrageous.

SandunesAndRainclouds · 13/07/2018 16:34

Absolutely take it further. Gluten intolerance is truly underestimated.

itsBritneyBeach · 13/07/2018 16:34

That's a pisstake OP, deffo take it further

LockedOutOfMN · 13/07/2018 16:36

Please take it further and also report to the council. This is totally unacceptable of the restaurant.

Sorry for your loss.

bluebeck · 13/07/2018 16:43

If it is a chain then definitely take it further.

ClandestineAdulation · 13/07/2018 16:44

Definitely take it further, it’s a ridiculous attitude to have and it’s their responsibility to make sure that things like this don’t happen. Write to head office as soon as possible with as much detail as you can muster.

ACatsNoHelpWithThat · 13/07/2018 16:45

YWNBU to take it further.

AjasLipstick · 13/07/2018 16:45

Take it further! With that attitude, next they'll kill someone with a nut allergy!

NameChange121 · 13/07/2018 16:46

As a fellow sufferer of this myself definitely complain.

Take it to social media & Trip Advisor if it doesn't get taken seriously. Not to 'tar' the restaurant, but its useful for other suffers to know. I got laughed at for getting normal bread on top of my "gluten free" meal I requested 2 weeks ago in Liverpool, the manager on shift actually laughed in my face at the error, I got that worked up over everyone staring and laughing I actually walked out the restaurant.

Flowers
NameChange121 · 13/07/2018 16:48

And the fact the menu CATERS for Gluten Free meals mean that the staff should be trained on the menu and items listed with a understanding knowledge on the food allergens!,Poor staff management! (I was a waitress also) This post has angered me lol! Feel for you OP.

LilQueenie · 13/07/2018 16:54

Take it further. If you work with food you should understand food. I can't be doing with those who have no idea of things as serious as this in a work environment. Tesco made a statement that their chef for the magazine 'understood there were different types of vegetarians' and therefore listed fish as ok. Hmm

Social media is your friend here. Also look to gluten free groups and spread the news. Who knows it may even stop it happening to someone else. Flowers

Sprogletsmuvva · 13/07/2018 16:55

If it’s a chain, there’s no excuse. They will have pre-set procedures/ training for everything, and all ingredients/ dishes likely bought in pre-prepared (ie it’s not like the chef is having to make stuff up himself from a dusty bag of GF flour).

Laiste · 13/07/2018 16:55

I'm usually a 'leave it be' sort of person but this is awful service and a callous attitude!

Trading standards, twitter, facebook, trip advisor all the way! Right now!

IF they are grovellingly apologetic you can update the story online as necessary and say that they've apologised. But i think they should be punished for the situation as it stands.

Laiste · 13/07/2018 16:56

Start here OP! Where was it?

OhLookHeKickedTheBall · 13/07/2018 17:02

Take it further definitely.
Make a point that they refused to log the incident unless you took the blame for their mistake.
Do it over social media if possible.
Go to Trading Standards if you don't get a positive response.

sprinklesandsauce · 13/07/2018 17:08

I would take it further especially if it is a chain. There is no excuse for ignorance over food allergies. It is not always possible to just "go to the doctor". What if they serve peanuts to a peanut allergy and kill them?

They need extra training on this , therefore reporting them to higher up would hopefully mean that they might get it.

IHopeYouStepOnALegoPiece · 13/07/2018 17:15

Definitely take it further, use social media.

(Was it Bella Italia? Ours is bloody shit for food intolerances)

RafikiIsTheBest · 13/07/2018 17:15

I agree with others, this is a big deal.
I used to care for a little girl who had a severe gluten intolerance, although looking back it was probably more of an allergy. She would be sick, rash, swelling etc just from one bite. We had an EpiPen on site for her, her food was all kept separate, we even had a toaster and other cooking utensils just for her.

This is a big deal and they need to realise that.

Original poster
Rochelaise18 · 13/07/2018 17:18

I have posted a review on fb and am in the process of writing an email to complain about the situation. This was La Tasca in the Trafford Centre.

OP posts:
Laiste · 13/07/2018 17:20

La Tasca review. Trafford centre.

Shite.
Read this thread.

There you go OP, maybe this will pop up on google for a while :)

SheSellSeaShells · 13/07/2018 17:20

what's the chain - I'm ceoliac so want to make sure I never eat there!!!

I would take this further - I mean what if you had a deadly allergy to nuts (for example) and they just whacked you out one anyway as there was no nut free alernative left - they clearly don't care and don't take allergies seriously!! They could actually kill someone with this disregard!!

Swipe left for the next trending thread