How We Handle Dietary Requirements & Allergens at Salt Wind Catering

Salt Wind Catering is an event caterer working under the FIR 2014 'loose food' rules: allergen information is available on request for every dish, we collect dietary requirements per guest before the menu is finalised, and we brief every staff member on the requirements before service across Cornwall and Devon.

How We Handle Dietary Requirements & Allergens at Salt Wind Catering

Food allergy management in event catering is not optional and it is not a box-ticking exercise. The fourteen major allergens regulated under UK food law, celery, cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, peanuts, sesame, soybeans, sulphur dioxide and sulphites, and tree nuts, can cause serious allergic reactions. Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency.

What the law actually requires of an event caterer

What an Event Caterer Must Do (FIR 2014, Not Natasha's Law)

We are an event caterer, not a packaged-food retailer. The rules that apply to us are the Food Information Regulations 2014 'loose food' rules, which require us to make accurate allergen information available on request for every dish we serve. PPDS labelling, the per-item ingredient labels you see on prepacked sandwiches in shops, does not apply to food served at an event by our team. One clear allergen notice and a briefed cook team is the standard, and that is what we deliver.

That is the legal baseline. Our practice goes further: we ask per-guest, we plan around it, and we tell you honestly what our kitchen can and cannot guarantee.

We take this seriously. Here is exactly what we do, and what you should expect from any caterer you book.

How do you collect dietary requirements before an event?

The 14 Major Allergens We Cover

When you book with us, we will ask for a dietary requirements list from your guests. We ask for this before we finalise the menu because the requirements should inform the menu design, not be bolted on as an afterthought.

The information we need: guest name (so we can track who has which requirement at the event), the specific requirement (coeliac disease is different to a gluten intolerance preference, we need to know which), and the severity (a preference is managed differently to a diagnosed allergy).

The fourteen major allergens we specifically ask about: gluten (wheat, barley, rye, oats), dairy, eggs, fish, shellfish and crustaceans, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, soya, celery and celeriac, mustard, lupin, molluscs, and sulphites.

We also ask about dietary preferences that affect the whole menu design: vegan and vegetarian requirements.

Severe Allergies — Honest Cross-Contamination Disclosure

How are allergens managed during service?

For each guest with a flagged requirement, we plate or pack a portion built to that requirement, label it clearly with the guest's name, and serve it separately from the main spread. Staff are briefed on who has what before service starts.

If a guest approaches the buffet table and asks about allergens, the person serving should be able to answer accurately. If they are not certain, they do not serve that guest from a dish they cannot vouch for, they come and find someone who knows. Allergen information for every dish is held at the service point, available on request, as the regulations require.

For guests with severe allergies, particularly anaphylactic nut, peanut or coeliac requirements, we will discuss the specifics in detail during the planning call. Be aware: our working kitchen handles both nuts and gluten. We can plate a portion to a recipe that contains neither, but we cannot guarantee a 100% trace-free environment, and we will not pretend otherwise. For severe allergies we recommend the guest carries their EpiPen or prescribed medication on the day, and we agree the approach with you in advance.

Coeliac & Gluten-Free Approach

How do you cater for coeliac guests?

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition triggered by gluten. It is not a food preference. For a coeliac guest, even trace contact from a shared spoon or surface can cause a reaction.

When we cater for coeliac guests, we build their portion from a gluten-free recipe, prepare it on a cleaned-down surface using clean utensils, and seal and label it before service so it does not share serving space with gluten-containing food. Because our kitchen also handles gluten, we cannot promise a fully trace-free portion. For diagnosed coeliacs we say so up front, and the guest decides whether the approach works for them.

How do you handle vegan and vegetarian guests?

Vegetarian and Vegan Options as Standard

Vegan and vegetarian guests deserve a meal that was designed for them, not a meat-free plate assembled from sides. We build vegan and vegetarian options into the menu design from the beginning, not as substitutions.

For large events where a significant proportion of guests are vegan or vegetarian, we will often design a separate vegan menu rather than trying to modify a meat-based one. This produces better food.

What should I tell my caterer about dietary requirements?

The more specific the information you give us, the better we can plan. "One guest has a nut allergy" is less useful than "one guest has a diagnosed anaphylactic peanut allergy, carries an EpiPen, and will have it on them at the event."

How to Brief Salt Wind Catering on Allergens

We do not judge. We do not find requirements inconvenient. We find vague information inconvenient, because it makes it difficult to do our job properly.

Send us the dietary list as soon as you have it. Ideally at least two weeks before the event.

To discuss your specific requirements, call 01209 206255 or email [email protected]. See also: corporate and wedding.