Free From - is is this okay?

[weddingwaiting]

The food for my wedding is going to be a “hot fork buffet” rather than a table service meal. I understand this to mean that we get to choose maybe 4 main dishes + sides for guests to go up and be served by staff.

I have a bunch of guests with various dietary requirements 3x vegan, 4xveggie and at least 3 gluten free that I know of.

Is it okay to have one “catch all” free from meal eg. A vegan and gluten free Thai curry and then maybe one other thing that is veggie (with lots of yummy cheese!) but other people can eat too?

. There are too many of them to make it practical for them all to have individual meals so this is how we have been told we need to do it but I want to food at my wedding to be tasty so I don’t want to waste too many food options on accommodating so many dietary requirements

Have you seen this thread - originally about eating out as a vegetarian, but also with comments on "catch all" meals. As a almost lifelong veggie usually I hate a "catch all" - the worst being half a roast cauliflower (no sauce, spice, sides) at an industry awards ceremony a couple of years ago, but Thai curry sounds good. As long as it is actually spicy and not also catering to those who don't like spicy food.

Its your wedding. As long as you’re providing an option for coeliac, vegetarian, vegan etc guests, that’s fine. You’ll never please everyone.

On the subject of vegan cheese, I found it all repulsive until I tried the Catherdral City one.

Make as many of the fishers GF as possible, I'd make it at least 3myself, but 2 options should be fine.

I'd do one meat, 2 vegan and one veggie.

Meat eaters can eat all, veggie can eat 3 and vegan has 2 options. And GF has 3

Usually the veggie options go first because the meat eaters like it too

Dishes, not fishers ffs

Agreed; the vegetarians will I'm sure just be happy to have something to eat.

Being celiac is more like a disability in that it impacts quality of life over the long term, and the cross contamination risk means they constantly have to bring their own snacks and often have no safe options to eat etc. I'd keep it simple by having a gluten free buffet, or separate bowls with bread in them maybe but have all the main dishes gluten free. It would be showing a kindness to your friend who probably really struggles with these sorts of events.

I think most coeliacs will be grateful to just have food that is kept separate. I would definitely prefer meat but would eat what I was given as I am a guest.
I have seen so many posts online from people who just don’t get catered for at all. A lot of people take food to weddings because they just don’t trust it will be there or be safe.
I think do what is right for you. If that one dish is what is easiest for you and your caterer then go for it. If you can, also reassure your guests that you have made arrangements for them.

@Louloulaughs thank you for your thoughts. I do hope that most people would be thinking along you lines ie. Glad to have been catered for rather than complain about WHAT they were served.

I don’t mind everything being gluten free if we aren’t charged extra for it whereas I would mind everything being vegan/veggie because that’s just not what we would prefer to eat.

It is really annoying that medical needs are further constrained by people who follow diets of choice.

from a host perspective I understand why it happens. As a person who needs safe food, it starts to feel awful though because it’s cumulative. Every place that serves food makes sure to have at least one choice that is labeled safe for people who are following various diets of choice, but allergies do not get the same consideration. So then you go to a party and the host did make sure there was safe food, but also catered to people who have a choice in what they eat at the same time and it’s just adds up. If the rest of the world was better about this, a party with limited or no options wouldn’t feel like such a slight.

I wonder if some of the opinions come from people who don't live with allergies as they are used to having lots of options. However when you have a limited diet, it is really nice to be considered and served up a nice meal.

@SootspriteSearcher yeah I mean there will definitely be a proper dinner for everyone. It won’t be a plain rice and fruit salad situation. It just might not be what they would choose on a menu?

fwiw I’m going to a wedding in a few weeks time where the whole menu is vegan and there is only one option - fortunately I’m not fussy and like most food but I don’t expect to necessarily get my favourite thing on offer at a wedding

FYI I'm gluten intolerant and cannot tolerate mustard too I know several others who also cannot tolerate it (I also can't tolerate gluten free oats and soya products which is 🙄)

As it's buffet service - Please can you make sure only the veggie/ vegan and CF get served their appropriate foods. Been to so many functions where they have been catered for but the meat eaters got their first (or those who've just become veggie / vegan in one case), so nothing left for them. Even if it's being served by staff. Plating up their food or a list of names. I appreciate it's extra hassle, but if you're going to the effort and expense of providing for them, at least make sure they get the right meal.

@Floralnomad I agree that it's important to cater well for people with coeliac disease - as a PP said, gluten is like a poison for them and having it can lead to serious consequences.

But choosing vegan food is not always a lifestyle choice. I opt for it as I am lactose intolerant (diagnosed by a doctor not self diagnosed). Having lactose won't lead to the same kind of dire consequences that occur if someone with coeliac disease has gluten, but it will make me very very sore.

I would not risk none vegans/gf people digging into that option then people who can't eat meat option not having any as all gone. Wedding buffets I've been to have plated up the gf food and given direct to gf people to avoid cross contamination/them missing out on food. Could this be an option?

@Doyoureallyhavetoask being lactose free doesn’t mean you have to be vegan though , although granted it would limit your choices in a restaurant

@Floralnomad I'm not vegan. But it's a way to ensure no dairy.

I get what you're saying and I agree it's worth noting that actually most people who follow "faddy diets" are likely dealing with some level of digestive discomfort, so it's not a free choice.

However, avoiding food for intolerances isn't anywhere near as hard as doing it for allergies. For intolerances, it's enough to just not eat the food you're avoiding. With allergies you have to take into account what factory they were prepared in, sometimes what manufacturing lines were used within the factory, what pan was used to cook it, what spatula was used, what chopping board was used, whether it's being served into a bowl next to an allergen, whether someone will use the wrong tongs as the buffet and drop allergens into a "safe" food etc. All this makes allergies so restrictive because even food that ought to be safe often isn't.

@MisschiefMaker yes absolutely. Very much harder when allergies are involved.

A lot of cheese is vegetarian. You just need to avoid the ones with rennet and clearly label to reassure.

It's the vegan cheese that most don't like.

I would make the whole meal gluten free and just make sure there were vegan and vegetarian options. Lots of people who are not strictly vegetarian or vegan pick those options in a buffet setting so I would consider that.

What utter rubbish.
Millions of people are vegan or vegetarian due to religious reasons.

How is that not a lifestyle choice?

@Nemesias
I would personally define a lifestyle choice as a decision an adult makes about their diet.
A person who has been brought up within a particular religion and has spent their entire life as a vegan or vegetarian is definitely different in my book!

yikesanotherbooboo · Today 07:54
I would make the whole meal gluten free

That can cost extra as the venue has to purchase GF ingredients. And GF ingredients are more expensive and dont always translate to the same taste or texture.

otherwayup · Today 09:04
What utter rubbish.
Millions of people are vegan or vegetarian due to religious reasons.

So their lifestyle is an act of faith.
Eating meat products will not poision them.
Feeding coeliacs gluten is the same as serving up a poison.

so it is a medical "need"
the people who have a medical need should be the first consideration eg special pre-plated food

After that the OP can cater for "wants" and provide alternatives