To be annoyed with restaurant

[Rochelaise18]

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.

They need to know that it is an autoimmune disease and not some fad. God it pisses me right off when staff think you are just being a bit precious.

They need educating, definitely take it further.

My friend is Coeliac and takes photos of all her gluten free food as there is a local facebook group for Coeliacs and they review gluten free food.

the other reviews on there are not complimentary either

Email has been sent to La Tasca:
To whom it may concern,

I am writing to attempt to resolve an issue from the 12th July at your Trafford Centre branch. I visited with a friend, having both been long time customers. We ordered the Paella de carne as it was something we could both eat due to my gluten intolerance. On being informed that we would face a 30 minute wait for the food, which we felt acceptable, we were offered the chance to order bread or nibbles while we waited. I chose the gluten free garlic bread (my exact words) and my friend the cheesy garlic bread. I was not told at this point that there was no gluten-free bread available, so did not think anything amiss when our respective orders were brought out. I had eaten half a piece of garlic bread (2 bites) before realising that either your gluten free garlic bread was amazing or, more likely, it wasn't gluten free. I asked the waitress who took our order only to be told "I didn't understand you". Now, I would expect a server, on being asked for something they didn't understand to ask immediately for clarification from the customer, not just guess and hope for the best. Had I been following the fad of gluten free for the sake of gluten free, this would not have been a huge problem. However, I am gluten intolerant, so any gluten is a big red flag and to be avoided at all costs. The bread was taken away and I was brusquely informed a couple of minutes later that there was no gluten free bread. I stated that I could not eat anything containing gluten and the waitress walked off. I wasn't offered an alternative.

On finishing our meal, I asked to speak to the manager as I naturally expected that the waitress had not said anything to them seeing as we had not been approached by any member of management. I am still unsure as to whether I spoke to an actual manager or a team leader as the uniform was identical to the waiting staff. I would hope not a manager as, their manner did little to inspire confidence to either return or that anything positive would be the outcome. I was told that the restaurant had not had any gluten-free bread for 2 days (yet this was not mentioned when we ordered), both myself and my friend were wrong about the words used, that the manager/team leader had been informed as soon as I had asked about whether or not the bread was gluten-free (but not approached for a resolution then), and that, unless I accepted that it was all a simple misunderstanding/misscommunication, the incident would not be logged. I was informed that, should my symptoms surface to just visit my doctor and that it "isn't our fault" that I would miss 2 days of work (on very busy nights) due to their negligence.

Now, I can accept, as a small gesture, the bill being waived. What I find unacceptable is the blasé attitude surrounding their endangering of a customer's health. People with Coeliac disease or gluten intolerance are not following a fad diet. Theses are autoimmune diseases and while some symptoms can be mild, none of them are pleasant and at their worst can result in needing hospitalisation at the very least. I work in food service, as does my friend and neither of us have ever in our many years of either working or visiting establishments encountered this kind of attitude. I had hoped to be able to continue visiting La Tasca as a customer despite being gluten intolerant as, unlike many places, your menu informs me clearly of which dishes either contain no gluten or have a gluten-free alternative. Sadly, given that the staff of the Trafford Centre branch (if not elsewhere) consider it to be a non-issue or fad to not want to consume gluten or any allergens, I will be forced to give you a wide berth from now on.

Yours sincerely,

Rochelaise18

Now that the complaints process issue has been solved, can I raise something else?

You mention that your dining companion was a friend, and that you’d accompanied a friend to a funeral. Same friend?

If it was, I think you were unreasonable to make a scene at the table, and then separately with the manager, in front of your friend. You had a legitimate issue, but in my opinion it needs to be dealt with afterwards. Certainly not with your bereaved mate right there. That day (and that meal) were about her/him. Supporting them, listening to them, sitting in companionable silence if needs be.

Ultimately, you’d eaten the bread already. Going ballistic won’t help your health at all. I’d be sucking it up, internally seething perhaps. I’d subtly get the names of their server and manager while I went up to pay the bill. I might even give them the Hard Stare, and tell them they’d not heard the end of it. I’d certainly follow it up as soon as I was alone- perhaps even drive back that same day. But I wouldn’t raise a fuss in front of a person who’d lost a loved-one and just farewelled them. Their day doesn’t need to be made any more uncomfortable, your food issues don’t trump their grief.

I think when you agree to be a support person, your needs and preferred actions have to take a serious back-seat. Nothing short of needing an ambulance.

Glad you’re feeling stronger, though, food issues aren’t fun.

Skittlesandbeer It was the same friend. I had been asked at the last minute by them to accompany them to the funeral of one of their teachers from high school. They had, while not close, kept in touch as they lived and worked in the same area. They had also been reluctant to ask me due to my not long suffering a bereavement myself, but it's not about me. I had been willing to, while reporting it later, to let it go, but it was my friend who said to raise it with the management. I didn't make a scene, merely asked whether or not the bread was gluten-free.
I suppose my "food issues" should have still taken a backseat had I had an extremely adverse reaction to eating something that makes me ill? To my mind "food issues" is something you choose to either eat or not, a lifestyle choice. Gluten intolerance is not something I chose. Having 2 family members who are Coeliac, I am even more sensitive to anything relating to food intolerance/allergy or Coeliac. Would you say the same if it had been something my friend couldn't eat? Their "food issues" should have taken a back seat to their grief?

food issues? is a intolerance a food issue now? i dont think she was being picky or finicky she has an actual intolerance, that can make her very very sick, i dont think that's a food issue, restaurants have killed people over ignoring "food issues" and if someone says they can not eat something as they have an intolerance/allergy you have to take them at their word or risk doing them harm and if so the possibility of being sued or worse with a criminal conviction

How did you cope 20 when "gluten free" was not a trend? You farted loads, shat a bit too much then moved on.

Terrible service by the restaurant - I hope they take your complaint seriously and look in to the behaviour and attitude of staff there.

Saddens me to read some of the negative responses on here - hope you're not taking them to heart.

Flutterbyee, for many years I was in and out of hospital and have a long list of "diagnoses" before anyone considered it could actually be gluten. I was struggling with my endurance cycling.
Since not eating gluten, I haven't needed to take iron tablets for anaemia, my B12 has been measured at over 200 for the first time ever and I've been able to finally find training for and cycling endurance events a doddle. Before, I could do 100-150 miles in a day, but it would take 2 weeks to recover. Now it isn't a problem.
It isn't a case of simply farting lots, shitting a bit too much and moving on. Sadly, I'm now too old to be a pro cyclist, but it's still my passion outside of work, and missing a single day of work is not something I ever want unless it's booked in advance.

Jesus, some really ignorant people on this thread.

I hope they take it seriously, OP. DS has multiple allergies and most restaurants fall over themselves to accommodate him. I'd be livid if we were given allergen containing food for him after making clear his needs.

Hope they give a decent response. Shockingly bad.

Flutterbyee if only being coeliac just meant you farted loads and shat a bit too much.

Yes, years ago there wasn't the medical awareness of this, bug you could say the same about any illness. Thank god we've made advances.

OP I'd have been just as cross at this as you, and it would have been even more annoying given the circumstances (funeral). Let us know how La Tasha respond.

Yes if it's a chain then report it further, they need to understand the effect that eating gluten can have on some people.

Please please please report this to Environmental Health or Trading Standards. Their actions are contrary to the 2014 Regs and they can and should be prosecuted for this. Please don’t let them get away with it.

OP, my teenage DS has coeliac disease, I am glad you have raised this directly with the management.

I've just looked up La Tasca's menu online & they make a huge thing about GF with clear labelling. You should expect to feel safe eating there - so it's appalling that their staff clearly weren't properly trained & they did not take your complaint seriously.

I usually prefer to take DS to chain restaurants as I think the staff will be better trained & there is less risk of cross contamination.

We had an issue in a local pub recently , where they told us they could produce a GF version of a burger but the chips were not fried separately. DS ordered the burger & it arrived with no bun! Now you will know that GF buns are widely available so he was very disappointed. He also ordered mash as a substitute for the chips & we were charged extra.

When I get home I sent an email to the pub & they could not have been more apologetic - turns out it was a new staff member who was not properly trained. I can totally understand & forgive that in a small rural pub (and nothing went wrong - DS did not eat anything bad, just had a disappointing & expensive meal). But in a chain restaurant, you should expect better & expect consistency.

I hope you get a good response, please share it with us when you do.

This is exactly why I feel I can't eat out anymore. People truly don't understand the impact that even a tiny amount of gluten can have on someone. I am coeliac, and if I ate a bite of garlic bread I would be ill for weeks. I was recently ill from someone using the same tongs for gluten free and gluten containing products. The inside of my mouth peeled off, my arthritis flared up so badly that I couldn't walk for a week, my eczema flared up and needed steroids, and my bowel was bleeding for three weeks and now I am back on iron suppliments because of it. It isn't just a case of having a bit of an upset stomach, it makes your whole body attack itself, and raises your risk of bowel cancer and lymphoma.

So, had a response to my review on fb:
Hi Rochelaise18, thank you for your feedback. Unfortunately on the day that you visited our restaurant this happened. Miss understandings do happen from time to time and on this occasion either a miss understanding or an actual mistake of not hearing you ask for gluten free bread happened. I have spoken with both the team member and the manager on duty and both were gutted that something like this happened to one of their guests on their shift. As i have already written, mistakes do happen. I would be very grateful if you could contact the restaurant on *** or email the site and we can talk about your recent visit then. Hope to hear from you soon. Kind regards, General Manager
So phoned the restaurant. Manager says this has never happened at his restaurant and he should know as he's there 55 hours a week. He told me that of course the incident would have been logged whether or not I signed the accident sheet and that I must be lying to say any of his staff would say otherwise. I was told that the waitress who took our order is one of their best team members and she would have double checked the order (which she didn't) and that I should have been clearer about asking for gluten-free bread.

I would post that all on facebook and then call Trading Standards.

I really hope that you get a better response to your email. Misunderstandings are not acceptable when it comes to making people ill and as you rightly point out if it was a nut allergy it would be taken differently.
I'm also medically intolerant to gluten and will only trust a few of the chains due to the waiting staff attitudes. Wagamamas are great will only allow the supervisor to take the order. Cote brassiere are good, same with zizzis. I've struggled with coast to coast, pizza express, giraffe and ask.

How much clearer could you be? Do they expect you to tattoo it across your forehead???

Take it further OP. YANBU

What a ridiculous reply

Follow up your email & FB review about the phone call. Bloody ridiculous! Sounds like they need customer service training as well as training in food intolerances!

Are you coeliac OP?

That's really bad.