Please sign in to post.

Traveling with Food Allergies

Hi there, hoping someone has some experience with this. I have food allergies to almonds, soy, and cow's milk. My fiancé and I are traveling to England and Wales in early May for two weeks and planning to buy most of our food from grocery stores and prepare our own meals (we are trying to reserve rooms with kitchens/kitchenettes as much as possible). However, we want to take a break and eat out at a least a few times, and also some of our rooms by necessity do not have kitchens. In Ireland we found that most menus had easy to read and thorough food allergy codes and that it was fairly straight-forward to feel safe ordering in restaurants. Is this also true in England/Wales? Are waiters generally knowledgeable and helpful about answering questions about ingredients? Any other advice/experiences? Any good local sheep or goat's milk cheeses available?

Thanks in advance!

Posted by
927 posts

Chain restaurants are generally considered safer for people with allergies. They mark allergens on the menus in most chains that I can think of. I would recommend Nandos, Wagamama, Cote and Pizza Express as good starting points.

If you want something a bit higher end or more independent it would be best to look them up online and maybe email or call ahead to check.

Posted by
309 posts

Most restaurants seem to list allergy foods on their menus these days, and are aware of the need for their staff to be knowledgeable - just ask, and continue asking until you get the info you need.

As for cheeses, England and Wales are great for goat and (less so) sheep’s cheeses, there are dozens of small and artisan cheese makers who take great pride in their products. You will even be able to find them in the supermarkets, Waitrose probably having the best cheese counters.

Posted by
332 posts

I think you will find the UK way ahead of the US if that’s where you are from in terms of allergy awareness and information. It’s the first question a waiter will ask you.

Posted by
10 posts

Great, thank you all! I had a feeling based on our experience in Ireland that it that might be true, but it's nice to hear it confirmed!