Cafe humiliation

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Took my DD (hardworking mum to my 2 DGC) for lunch in a very nice local cafe (pink tea pots, fresh roses on the tables) as a treat.
Lunch menu looked nice. We ordered and I asked if I could just check if my salad could be gluten free. At this the waitress asked if I was choosing or actually coeliac. I am in fact, coeliac and she said then informed me that I would need to sign something first. Honestly, I thought it was a joke but she came back with a large clipboard and an A4 sheet of paper and pen and asked me to have it signed by the time she returned; she was not going to take the order until this was done.
I sat staring at the paperwork wondering of this was for real. The paperwork was a disclaimer that if the cafe should inadvertantly slip me anything gluten laden then they would keep this piece of paper with my "consent" at the risks therein.
Several ladies having tea and lunches were staring at me and DD when the waitress came back; she was astonished that I hadn't signed their form yet. I just wanted to have a nice salad lunch with my daughter to treat her without having some jobsworth make me out to be some sort of liability to them. DD said it had sucked the good vibe right out and she was absolutely right.
So the waitress then asked why I wouldn't sign. I had to explain (calmly but upset) that I had hoped for kinder and far more inclusive customer service instead of singling me out and making me "other" whilst their diners looked on wondering why I was having to sign their paperwork before anyone was willing to serve us. She said, no, it's not like that - but I had to explain again that their paperwork was not to caring for the customer it was them covering their back against me if they were to make a mistake. Although I previously liked the cafe very much, DD and I left.
I'm a woman of the world and a solo traveller too. I have a happy go lucky nature but today...I really felt humiliated. AIBU?

She’s not being ‘singled out’, what would be the use of getting other diners to sign a form for? They haven’t got any dietary requirements that warrant the form. I’m dairy intolerant and in several places they bring out a tablet with the menu I can pick from and sign to say I’m happy to go ahead with the order. It wouldn’t be enough to put a card on the menus or door because people might not see that and anyone with something such as an allergy, intolerance or coeliac often like to speak to the server to make sure they acknowledge it

I think you’re bring unfair. Allergies are finally starting to be taken more seriously and that’s a good thing. We have to sign forms when out with our son who’s anaphylaxis to raw egg. It’s normally after they’ve explained where the food is prepared, that there may be a chance in cross contamination etc. Did the waitress explain this to you? Maybe next time tell them you are coeliac straight away

They are taking your allergy seriously. You should be happy with that, and that they have robust processes in place.

A few restaurants near me, have started putting up disclaimers and refusing to accommodate allergies now because the risk is too great.

They are a business for goodness sake. They can’t afford to get sued. Everyone loose their jobs and the owner probably looses his life’s work and investment. Why don’t people understand this is sadly the litigious world we live in. Don’t blame honest small business owners trying to earn a living!!!

People with intolerances asked for restaurants cafes etc to care now they’re complaining. It’s better to be safe than sorry

I wouldn’t have signed either. It wouldn’t fill me with confidence that they take the relevant precautions. It smacks of only caring about themselves ahead of the customer and lets them get away with serving gluten without any recourse. If they can’t be confident they won’t serve gluten containing food then they should state that clearly with some kind of signage in the restaurant to prevent coeliacs from going there.

Businesses who declare themselves GF or who advertise their products as Gluten Free must adhere to separate areas/utensils/storage etc. Small businesses who can't accommodate this can't say they offer Gluten Free food. They can say it's made without gluten though, just not actually GF...I have signs up that say we can never guarantee 100% against cross contamination and we verbally tell any customers enquiring that we are a multiuse kitchen.

I wouldn't have ever thought about asking customers to sign a waiver though!

It’s illegal in the UK to ask a customer with coeliac disease, or any allergy, to sign a waiver or to refuse service based on their condition. Food businesses have a legal responsibility to provide regulated allergen information, ensure that the food is safe, and make sure they protect people with coeliac disease, including preventing cross-contamination.

Staff should be trained to handle orders for customers with coeliac disease and other allergies, and although Coeliac isn’t specifically defined as a disability under the Equality Act 2010, in a food service situation it would be a protected characteristic, so asking someone to sign a waiver is direct discrimination. By law the establishment should refuse to serve you if they can’t guarantee your safety, and they should tell you why. A waiver of this type has no basis in law.

Because it’s discrimination and it’s illegal. If the food business can’t guarantee the safety of customers with allergens, legally they can and should refuse to serve them on that basis. A waiver of this kind has no basis in UK law and wouldn’t protect the business in the event of an incident.

How is asking her to sign a meaningless waiver taking anything seriously ? If they can’t guarantee no cross contamination they should refuse to serve and explain why.

A waiver has no legal basis. If they can’t guarantee your safety they should refuse to serve you.

Suck it up and sign and don’t go back if you feel that bad.

Doesn’t protect the food establishment either. A waiver of this type has no basis in law. They should refuse to serve if they can’t guarantee safety.

You’re being incredibly precious

I think it's a hard one for both of you. I would try and eat at places that had gluten free food like I do because I'm vegetarian. I wouldn't like to sign but it's a hard on liability wise.

Only you

There are too many claims and scared being sued but the part that if they accidentally slip gluten in wouldn’t stand up in court anyway they can’t completely sign away any rights

You are

wagamamas are the worst for this nonsense. although lots of their food is rice based, hardly anything is gluten free, and once you say you’re celiac they make you wait around to have a manager take your order. last time I went everyone else in my party had their food and was tucking in and I was still sat there waiting for a manager to be free. It shouldn’t be this complicated!

I don’t think you can sign away negligence either. Either it’s gluten free or it isn’t. Either you’ve made reasonable efforts to be safe or you havent. I’m not a lawyer either but this is what I think.

I’ve never been asked to sign so far, it’s unusual and odd. Most menus state thru cannot guarantee cross contamination before ordering

But surely that shows that the company isn’t doing it’s due diligence to ensure customers who have allergies are safe.

That's absolutely appalling treatment of a customer and you were right to make your point and leave the cafe. In your shoes, I wouldn't darken their door again.
I would make a point of emailing (or writing) to the cafe owner, explaining your experience and see what response you receive, if any.

If the restaurant is found to be negligent, their waiver means nothing.

I do wish there was more time and care spent on life threatening allergies vs
gluten free, due to GF not killing you there and then like a severe diary allergy for example.

I would wager you didn't even know you had coealic until the last 20 years max), Grew up eating bread etc. It's now the idea of a crumb of wheat in your salad is going to kill you , is the reason people struggle with coealics

You struggle with people who suffer with an autoimmune disease?
Have you had an empathy bypass?

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease for which the ONLY treatment is a restricted diet. A crumb of gluten will trigger an autoimmune reaction.

You aren’t necessarily born with coeliac disease, it can develop at any age. Op could have spent 64 years of her life without it.

Gluten (found in barely and rye, as well as wheat) might not actually kill a coeliac but it can lead to short term pain, vomiting and diarrhoea; then long term malnutrition, infertility, anaemia, delayed puberty, peripheral neuropathy, osteoporosis, the list goes on.