Letters

Getting to grips with the allergies problem

Hazel Gowland (Caterer, 15 June, page 18) says the Food Standards Agency recognises the needs of allergy sufferers. Chefs and operators should do the same.

When catering for a wedding recently, we were told that the bride suffered from the extreme food allergy anaphylaxis and, if exposed, would die within 13 minutes without an adrenaline injection.

This posed a great challenge. However, through discussions with the bride and clarifying without doubt which food items she could eat, the day was a great success.

Choosing a menu that was worthy of her special day was no mean feat, as she was allergic to artificial colouring, preservatives, additives, seafood, eggs, nuts, emulsifiers and stabilisers. After much research, I served mushroom soup, supreme of chicken with skirlie and bacon roll, then caramelised oranges with Drambuie ice-cream.

So, serving allergy sufferers can be done with effective communication and an honest and thorough approach. However, it was a nerve-racking experience and any training available should be welcomed with open arms.

Daniel McArdle, Head Chef, Normandy Hotel, Renfrewshire.

Should FSA create licence to grill?

A recent report from the Food Standards Agency stating that many food premises were unhygienic appeared to come as a surprise to many people.

Why, when anyone in the UK can start a food business without prior involvement and can employ people who have little or no knowledge of food safety and hygiene?

We keep hearing from the environmental lobby that, on one hand, licensing of premises is the answer and having HACCP systems in place will make premises safer. Then on the other hand, they admit that they do not have sufficient trained personnel to undertake food business inspection.

Surely it is the people, rather than the premises or the system, that fail. If we want to have safer food we must be prepared to license people, such as head chefs and managers, in premises where, say, 30 customers can be fed at one sitting. That way if the system fails and people suffer they will be held accountable and face the consequences. After all, isn't this how it works in other professions?

J M Spencer, Catering Advisor, Scottish Prison Service, Edinburgh.

Ban yob element from smart bars

I endorse Michael Gottlieb's comments on yobs (Caterer, 20 July, page 20). Recent visits to City of London restaurants have all been marred by "laddish" behaviour of a few "punters".

This will persist as long as these upmarket venues allow all and sundry to drink in their bars. If bar facilities were limited to diners, the loutish element would then return to the pubs.

Johnny Howard, Hertfordshire.

Not all guides are invitation only…

I reply to the letter from David North, "Chequebook guides disappoint caterers" (Caterer, 20 July, page 19).

Subsequent to a letter from Mr North's marketing company, we mailed our information pack to Mr North, which elicited the inspection fee. We then asked our consultant inspector to arrange a visit. The dissatisfaction Mr North felt as a result of our efforts was probably due to his ignorance of our company's policy.

We are a hotel and restaurant marketing organisation with a membership of some 800. We publish annual guides for these members, detailing benefits of eating and/or staying at their establishments. We also offer advantageous purchasing and insurance.

At no time do we suggest that our guides are individual, such as Michelin, as they are an adjunct to our marketing. By means of our inspection, which a number fail, we serve to endorse the standards and qualities that our members have already achieved. We afford a lot of busy owners/managers a relatively inexpensive opportunity to leave the business of marketing and promotion to us, with savings that enthusiastic and established members can make by availing themselves of those opportunities.

Mr North's property was one we would like to have represented, but as an experienced caterer he is na‹ve to think that all "guides" are invitational and would have to be invited to join them in any case. Perhaps this is the reason for his dissatisfaction.

Roger Brett-Freeman, Guide Editor, Les Routiers, London SW6.

… but still hoteliers are lured into paying

In response to David North's letter, I am constantly amazed that experienced caterers and holiday suppliers fall for this sort of thing.

A friend who has been in the business for 13 years described a visit she received from a so-called upmarket hotel guide inspector, who is putting her farm guesthouse in next year's tome. She is paying nearly £1,000 for the privilege. She was told she had been picked "exclusively" from the area, and that the inspector had turned away hundreds of prospective advertisers as not being good enough.

She fell for it hook, line and sinker, but what really tickled me was that she asked me to take photographs for the guide because "they don't do this themselves". Not much quality control there, then.

This is a scenario I hear time and time again, with these advertising companies masquerading as independent guides approaching owners and restaurateurs each year.

The sooner owners look to the genuine marketing and booking companies, the better for them, the customer, and the industry as a whole!

Jill Lawrence, Holiday-Finder.com, Gwynedd.