Does anyone know about eating GLUTEN FREE in Ireland and Scotland? Am I going to have difficulty at restaurants.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
I haven't been to Ireland, but in Scotland, I found awareness of food allergies and intolerances to be very high. Menus had much more detail about potential problems, including cross-contamination, than I am used to here in the US. And a bag of spelt flour in a supermarket was clearly and prominently labeled "not suitable for coeliacs" (note how the British spell it).
Posted by
Portsmouth
5540 posts
You'll have no difficulty at all. Restaurants are required by law to indicate whether a dish contains allergens of which gluten is one of the most common. Knowledge of allergens will vary between servers but the kitchen staff should be more aware. My wife is gluten intolerant and she rarely encounters any difficulty with finding gluten free dishes, much more than when we've been in the US. One thing I woud bear in mind and that is the extent of your sensitivity. If you have a serious reaction to gluten then I would be more careful as we've found some staff have a laissez fair attitude to gluten intolerance and some may even lie rather than admit they don't know the answer to your question or can't be bothered to find out.
Posted by
1172 posts
Food allergies/limitations/intolerances seem to be so much better handled in Europe than North America. Almost everywhere in Ireland, they had allergens right on the menu. They also always asked before we ordered. You will not have problems at all
Posted by
USA
10 posts
My sister has celiac disease and travels A LOT! Her favorite is Ireland and has never had an issue finding gluten free options when in Ireland. Good luck!
Posted by
Los Angeles Suburbs
2 posts
I agree with the other posts. Our son has severe food allergies and was thrilled to find allergies listed on every menu throughout Ireland. Made the trip less stressful.
Posted by
OP
Lincoln, NE, USA
28 posts
Thank you everyone. I feel really good about the food on our trip. You have all reduced my stress!
Posted by
Ireland
219 posts
Ireland has a very high incidence of Coeliacs so we've been used to dealing with gluten issues for a long time https://www.coeliac.ie
As mentioned above, food allergens must be labelled on menus and packaging. This is an EU law so applies across all member states. 14 allergens are covered and the list is here: https://www.fsai.ie/legislation/food_legislation/food_information/14_allergens.html