Why make it so difficult to enjoy eating out?

At The Pastry Room, we hear on almost a daily basis of the challenges that food service professionals face in meeting the statutory regulations to safely manage allergens in their kitchens. It is tough and at no time soon is it going to get any easier. By default, the Exec Chefs we talk to are at various points along their journey in removing allergens. What happens very frequently is a level of surprise as to the true 'demand' benefit from offering high quality gluten free or dairy free products. Detailed discussions take place on menu development but often the full extent of the implications don't get considered.

To help illustrate our point we'll tell you about Megan who we know well. Megan is a very hard working 28-year-old design professional who lives in Bristol.? She loves nothing more than socialising with a wide group of friends, usually over a meal and eats out 2-3 times each week with 4-6 friends. Megan is a coeliac and has become acutely aware of both where she can eat and also where she wants to eat.? She tells us that there are broadly 4 groups of restaurants and pubs in her view:

a) Establishments that don't consider gluten free options at all.

b) Offer a very limited gluten free menu but based on meals that are 'naturally' gluten free.

c) Offer a good selection of gluten free options but the quality is poor.

d) Really do it well with thought and care.

?

Which category do you fall into?

Megan estimates that she could eat in around 230 establishments based on price, budget, location, and vibe etc.? However, she and her group of friends really can only choose from 8 because otherwise Megan will not enjoy a night out anywhere near as much as her friends.?

The key point here is that many groups will take the dietary requirements as a crucial factor in choosing where to eat. Based on The Pastry Room's research, we estimate that 40% of dining groups are strongly influenced by the dietary needs of one or more of the individuals in that group.

We calculate Megan’s social circle of friends equates to ￡30000 of expenditure per year, all influenced by a restaurants ability to offer a good standard of gluten free dishes. This is just an example from one group of friends in one city so would add up to a VERY big number overall.

Food service professionals often don’t understand the influence a poor gluten free section on their menu has on whether potential diners convert to actual diners and then repeat their visits. ?Many restaurants and pubs don’t realise how crucial it is to avoid cutting down their potential customer base in today’s competitive market.

In the coming weeks we'll share more of our learnings with you but in the meantime feel free to contact us.? We can help with offering the best solutions for your customers.

Call John or Colin to discuss.

John - Managing Director: 07753797430 / [email protected]

Colin - Chef Director - Innovation: 07825134531 / [email protected]