How to improve your attitude to allergens

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Thesleff’s attitude to allergens is informed by his own experiences: he’s gluten-intolerant and allergic to dairy, alongside other allergies. “It’s a total pain to get food,” he says. “I love food, but it’s complicated.”

At Los Mochis, the entire menu is made without gluten, nuts and celery. It offers a variety of Mexican-accented Japanese dishes, with seafood at the forefront, such as octopus tacos or black cod maki. “It was a question of how far we can push it without compromising on flavour and quality,” Thesleff says. “And I think we were more successful than I ever imagined we could be.

“It was really hard to find ingredients, partly because of Covid-19 and Brexit; you’d find something but it wasn’t available in the UK or it was made with MSG – but we don’t want to have anything [made with] MSG on our menus.” Some Los Mochis customers still have a residual prejudice against gluten-free dishes, he says, but that dissolves once they’ve tried the food.

Much of the key work has been done in-house, he adds, but he is also grateful for the way suppliers have helped. He names Libby’s, Manna Dew, Mexgrocer and Reach Food in particular. “All our major suppliers have been amazing when it comes to the allergen side,” he says. “Mexgrocer, for example, created custom-made tortillas in a factory that has no cross-contamination.”

Staff are not allowed to bring in outside food, he says – even sandwiches for lunch – in order to avoid cross-contamination. This approach to allergies has bled into the other restaurants that Thesleff runs, including the recently-acquired Sale E Pepe in Knightsbridge, where “almost all” of the dishes are offered in a gluten-free form, and where there’s a dedicated gluten-free fryer. Juno, the six-seater omakase inside Los Mochis in Notting Hill, is “the world’s only gluten-free omakase,” according to Thesleff. “That’s kinda cool.”

There’s only one allergen that is proving difficult: “Sesame seed. That’s a tricky one with cross contamination.” 

Tracing ingredients

Keeping on top of allergies is a full-time job and this is where technology comes in. At Shepherd Neame, Britain’s oldest brewery and owner of more than 300 pubs, it uses Ten Kites, a menu management and publishing system by Nutritics. “It makes sense to introduce digital solutions alongside traditional ones,” says Simon Howlett, the pub group’s head development chef. “Our team members now have access to live feed allergen reporting for not only the plated dish but all the ingredients in the recipe.”

Training is equally important, of course. Food procurement specialist allmanhall worked with Mill Hill School in London to ensure that its allergen management systems were robust and that staff had the knowledge and confidence to safely look after the children with allergies. Allergen training sessions were delivered, with case studies and workshops across all four sites to make the learning interactive and engaging.

Menuserve pavlova

Mike Gibson, catering bursar, says: “It provided us with a comprehensive system of managing safely and clearly defined due diligence. We feel reassured that our catering teams are confident and our processes are robust.”

At Middleton Foods, a new allergen control production area has been installed. The 238.5 sq m purpose-built facility will, once production starts this month, increase capacity by over 15% and double production of the company’s specialist products. Pete Moss, general manager, says: “The importance of managing allergens in factories and the supply chain is complex, yet it’s an essential process to ensure allergen-free products are safe.”

Free reign

For Central Foods’ managing director Gordon Lauder, the key is products that are free from multiple allergens. He cites the Menuserve and Katerbake ranges, which include a number of gluten-free lines. “There’s been tremendous innovation in this sector in recent years, which means caterers have a wide variety of ready-made options,” he says.

For those looking to avoid dairy, Sheese – a vegan cheese alternative relaunched this year – is the answer, according to Chris Owen, head of marketing. “Non-dairy eaters want to ‘feel normal’ when dining out, so operators should ensure their menus include common favourites with a dairy-free twist,” he says. “You can replace traditional cheese with one of the products from our Sheese range and you’ll get the same melty experience you’re looking for.”

Major Foods, meanwhile, offers Mari base marinades in 12 flavours (Korean, Oriental, Tandoori, Bombay and Thai, for example) all of which are gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians, with Vegetarian Society approval. Paul Saunders, design and marketing manager, says: “We have taken a pioneering approach to recipe development and feel passionate about creating stocks, sauces and gravies that are packed full of flavours, without allergens.”

The options for open-minded operators seems to expand by the year, but there’s still a fair way to go. Thesleff, though, is optimistic. “We just have to keep doing better than we did yesterday,” he says. “There’s no reason for people not to do it this way. I push our team to improve all the time.”

Suppliers

Allmanhall allmanhall.co.uk

Central Foods www.centralfoods.co.uk

Libby’s libbys.co

Major Foods www.majorfoods.co.uk

Manna Dew mannadew.co.uk

Mexgrocer www.mexgrocer.co.uk

Middleton Foods middletonfoods.com

Nutritics www.nutritics.com

Reach Food reachfoodgroup.com

Sheese www.buteisland.com

Ten Kites tenkites.com