Investing in different pans and
separate cooking oil may seem
burdensome and wasteful for many
restaurant owners; however this
proves to be beneficial in the long
run, as instead of shunning people
away by not catering for everyone’s
needs, you then actually draw people
in. Awareness is increasing in Malta,
but the Government has to implement
changes on the labelling of Maltese
products, providing an allergen sheet
as in the UK. The Facebook page I set
up, ‘Eating Out with Special Dietary
Requirements’ mentions places which
have offered a pleasant experience
when eating out with my son. A lot
of restaurants are not yet fully willing
to advertise themselves that they do
indeed cater for allergy sufferers, but
people on social media can share their
experiences, good or bad, so that
more people are informed about which
restaurants they can choose.
What do allergy sufferers, especially
foreigners, have to look for when
choosing a restaurant?
M.A.: In my opinion, you cannot enjoy
eating somewhere unless you fully
trust that your needs are going to be
catered for as you require, without
cross-contamination of utensils and
equipment, and with proper care
in the selection of ingredients. A
restaurant must be researched before,
and it is best to call before making
the reservation, so that you can state
clearly that there will be someone who
is allergic to some ingredients in your
party, to see if the restaurant will be
able to cope with these demands.
Once at the restaurant, it is imperative
to ask again, and to state again which
ingredients cannot be ingested by said
person. It is best to talk both to the
person in charge – be it a head waiter
or chef – as well as to the waiter
serving you, to make sure that there
is more than one person who is aware
of the situation. This way the allergy
sufferer can put his/her mind at rest
and truly enjoy the experience of
dining, and the whole party can enjoy
the meal together. Unfortunately
sometimes there is miscommunication
between the waiter and the chef,
especially if the waiter is not yet
trained enough. Allergy sufferers are
sometimes mistaken for fussy or picky
eaters, and the staff thinks that they
are merely complaining or being a
nuisance. Having an allergy is a far-
cry from being fussy. It is important
that you explain what the situation is,
and how serious the reaction might
be should the allergen be ingested in
some way, or if some equipment is
cross-contaminated. It is your right
to feel comfortable with what you are
eating and it is the establishment’s
duty to offer food which is safe to eat.
Which restaurants have you found to
provide the best service when catering
for allergy sufferers?
M.A.: There are a number of
restaurants which have been indeed
very welcoming and very considerate
when dealing with people with special
dietary requirements, most of which I
mention in my Facebook Page ‘Eating
Out with Special Dietary Requirements’.
Here I list my experiences in
restaurants across Malta and Gozo
which have provided excellent service
and a good choice of food catering for
different dietary requirements. A quick
mention - Amorino, the ice-cream
shop in Republic Street, Valletta, is
very helpful as it has an allergen sheet
where one can see each different
ingredient in the various ice-creams
they offer.
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