Build customer confidence in your approach to allergens

Research from the Food Standards Agency has shown that providing good allergen information improves customers’ confidence when deciding which restaurant to order from. 

5 key findings:

1. People with allergies value staff that are knowledgeable about their menu. They are reassured when you show interest and expertise when talking about allergens.
2. Staff who offer information and invite customers to discuss their allergy requirements, right at the start when taking orders, make customers feel confident.
3. Customers feel that there is a big risk to the credibility of your business if you offer allergen information but cannot provide it effectively and reliably in practice.
4. Customers appreciate having a reference for them to look at (e.g. recipe cards, ingredient labels, etc) if possible.
5. An enjoyable and successful ‘eating’ experience with you makes people with allergies much more likely to return, or recommend you to others with food allergies or intolerances.

#SpeakUpForAllergies

The Food Standards Agency is launching #SpeakUpForAllergies campaign this week. The campaign will run from Wednesday 24 February until 31 March across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and aims to encourage 18-21-year-olds and their friends to speak up about food allergies and will be focussing on takeaways and deliveries due to lockdown restrictions.

So make sure you and your staff are up to date with all allergen ingredients and ready to answer customer questions if asked. You can find more resources about allergens here .