My complaint to a Central London bar/ restuarant

Below I've posted my complaint to a London venue regarding an incident that left me speechless and fuming yesterday. In hindsight I should have left immediately (while making a scene!) but I was too speechless to even think. I've decided not to name the restaurant here.

> I regret you inform you that I had a highly frustrating and distressing visit to your restaurant yesterday. Upon being seated, I asked if there was an allergy menu and was told no. I was asked how severe my allergy to peanuts was, and I replied severe, and was promptly told 'since everything seems to say may contain nuts' in shops and that as X was a bar venue rather than a restaurant it was unlikely there would be anything I could eat on the whole menu. I found this rather baffling since there was nothing on the entire menu with peanuts in it and asked the waitress to speak with the chef and ask his advice on whether anything might be suitable. She seemed annoyed by this and told me she would bring information but that then it would be my responsibility to decide, meanwhile telling me it was her legal responsibility and she'd had training. 

A few minutes later she returned telling me the chef had said the hummus might not be suitable, and as she had some written allergen information in her hand I looked back at the menu to check other options. She seemed extremely irritated that I still planned on ordering something and by my follow-up enquiry, rudely told me 'that she'd told me all she could, talked to the head chef and manager, had spent a half an hour talking to me and now everyone surrounding was waiting for their drinks because of all this' (ridiculous in every way). I was left speechless at the suggestion that somehow my couple of very brief questions around allergy information, which as you know are now a legal requirement, was somehow irritating her and preventing her from doing her job. 

After asking to look at the written information myself, I chose the nachos, without jalapeños and asked the waitress to give the kitchen a written chef card which I use in every restaurant as a visual reminder to the kitchen. This was rudely handed back to me as not necessary as I was sarcastically told 'everyone there now knew about my allergy'; yet ironically my nachos arrived with jalapeños so clearly the message was not that clearly delivered to the kitchen after all. I have never experienced such an awful attitude to severe allergies and it has severely dented my confidence in your restaurant. 

I hope that you will follow up and provide extra training to your staff on simply spending a couple of moments answering a few basic questions for customers who take their life in their hands when they eat out. If you have decided that people with severe allergies should be encouraged to go elsewhere to eat, you should make that clear with a message on your menu or window, but do you want to alienate a group of customers for the sake of not providing guidance on what's in your food? <

Live from the TRACE study...

As I write I am lying in a hospital bed as part of the TRACE peanut study... it's 4.25am. I'm here overnight as part of a sleep deprivation element to today's challenge. So far I've been allowed just two hours sleep between 1 and 3am.

Why am I here? It's all in the name of science. Medicine can never be expected to move on unless people who suffer with illnesses give some time to be prodded. In this case though, we're not looking for a cure, it's more to do with improving day to day life for people with peanut allergies. Anyone who has closely scrutinised a label will understand the prevalence of 'may contain nut traces' labels. Most manufacturers don't even bother telling you what nut they are referring to, rendering the warning useless and vague. This increases the chance of someone 'risking it' since they can't properly decide on the risk anyway.

The TRACE Peanut Study aims to address this by finding out exactly how much peanut will cause an allergic reaction in those with a peanut allergy by conducting ‘challenges’ on around 100 people. The focus area of the study is on two ‘extrinsic’ factors known to influence allergic thresholds (exercise and tiredness).

In the next few hours all hands will be on deck and I will start process of ingesting the one thing I spend my life avoiding. Watch this space!

New Years Resolution: Do you know how to react to a reaction?

Trying to think of new year’s resolutions? Consider these questions...

• Are your Epipens always within reach?
• Can you use them properly without instructions?
• Will you use them when needed or are you afraid?

Back in February 2014, I came face to face with these questions when my food was accidentally contaminated with peanuts at a London pub. Shortly after I began to feel extremely ill, with wrenching stomach cramps and hay fever like symptoms. A few minutes later, I felt a burning sensation all around my neck and began to be unable to catch my breath. I glanced in the mirror and knew straight away; the tell-tale swelling all over my face confirmed anaphylaxis was developing. As I was already experiencing breathing difficulties I needed to act fast. If you were in my position at that moment, would you know how to react?

EpiPen® and EpiPen Jr® are auto-injectors used for the emergency treatment of life-threatening allergic reactions (anaphylaxis). Epipens are designed so that you to use them, without assistance, to give time to seek emergency medical treatment. You do not need someone to do it for you. Spending a few minutes every few months refreshing yourself on how to use your Epipen will give you the confidence to use it when you need it. Your mantra needs to be HAVE IT, USE IT.

Using an Epipen is simple:

1. Remove from the protective plastic case

2. Pull off the blue cap completely

3. Place the orange tip on your outer thigh (through clothing or tights is fine)

4. Push the Epipen into your thigh until you hear a click sound, and hold in place for ten seconds

5. Remove it, place safely back in its case and massage the injection site for a few seconds

6. Call 999 if someone has not done this for you already. Remember you can contact emergency services free of charge, from any phone in the EU by calling 112.

Taken from http://www.pharmacydirect.co.nz/images/textarea_images/2step.png

* If you are alone it is extremely important that you self-adminster your Epipen BEFORE calling 999. Doing it the other way around could be fatal.

Always err on the side of caution and use your Epipen if you have reason to believe anaphylaxis is developing. Using an Epipen when not needed is unlikely to cause any ill effects. On the flipside, not using your Epipen, or using it too late, could possibly cost you your life... so USE IT.

I did not take any antihistamines during this reaction; paramedics told me this was the right thing to do as it allowed them to give me a full IV drip dose of more powerful anti-histamines once I was in the back of the ambulance. These worked immediately. Personally, I would question the usefulness of over the counter anti-histamines during an anaphylactic reaction and would suggest always reaching for your Epipen. What does help is a few puffs of a reliever inhaler such as Ventolin.

Another issue to consider is where is your Epipen at any given time? If you are in the car and have a reaction, will you be able to get back to that kitchen cupboard in time? If your child’s Epipen is in school, but a reaction develops halfway home, will you be able to react in time? I cannot stress enough the importance of having your Epipens ALWAYS within arm’s reach, and being able to use it. While adrenaline is a life-saving medication, it cannot save your life if you don’t have it or use it. The difference between being prepared or not prepared could be the difference between life and death.

So ask yourself, are you properly equipped to react to a reaction?

Nut Safe Traybake

There's not a chance you'll be able to find something as good as this that's safe in any supermarket or cafe! It's a recipe from Nigella's website that is simply so easy to make and so moreish. Perfect for a Christmas dessert that includes everyone...

Malteasers Traybake

Ingredients

100 grams butter

200 grams milk chocolate - I use plain Galaxy or Cadbury Buttons

3 tablespoons golden syrup

225 grams digestive biscuits (crushed in a sandwich bag)

225 grams Malteasers

I also add some mini marshmallows and chopped apricots (just because!)
And sometimes I add rice krispies to spread it out a bit. 

Method

1. Melt together the butter, chocolate and syrup on a medium heat in the microwave

2. Add the crushed biscuits, Maltesers, marshmallows and chopped apricots.

3. Mix together quickly then transfer into a lined square tin and chill in the fridge until set.

4. For a special occasion drizzle with some melted white chocolate.

5. Carve up and serve

ENJOY!

Original recipe from www.nigella.com/recipes/view/malteser-traybake-393

Three days to go!

Just three days to go until the #14Allergens legislation comes into effect.

From 13 December 2014, all food businesses will need to provide information about the
allergenic ingredients used in food sold or provided by them.  Businesses which are
providing food sold prepacked and non-prepacked (loose) such as food sold in a restaurant or
takeaway must ensure they are compliant by Saturday. This nice guide describes some of the changes.

Also included is packaged food. From Saturday, businesses and manufacturers must identify the 14 allergens through the use of bold font or similar within the ingredients list. This change will help people with allergies assess the real level of risk and ideally bring down the use of lazy 'may contain phrases'.

There are 14 allergens that must be identified when present, are described in this FSA infographic.