Why I will never ever eat at Pret..

Or any other cafe, restaurant or fast food outlet that cannot show me the ingredients of their products.

It’s just not worth the risk.

In case you missed my last blog, a teenage girl died after eating a Pret baguette that contained undeclared sesame. But Pret are by no means the only established not labelling goods prepared on the premises, because the law doesn’t require anyone to have to do this. If you are asked by a customer you need to be able to verbally communicate the allergens in anything but you don’t have to have it written down.

Sounds crazy right? As someone who needs to record anything and everything I need to remember in writing, I cannot understand how this is ever a good way to communicate. Especially something as crucial as allergens, which could kill some people if they are allergic.

If only my publicity agent had told me that my hair was all over the place. And there is nothing to be done about the eye wrinkles…

I’ve spent a really lovely day in London today, walking past umpteen Pret outlets and casting seething glances in their direction as I walk past. I am so angry about the death of Natasha. I know it happened two years ago but what has been happening in the meantime? All these days, months and years since her death… Has anything changed? No. That’s the simple answer. How many people have eaten out in cafes, food to go outlets and deli’s and had allergic reactions that have not been fatal? People who suffered in silence. Maybe they did report it, but because it’s not the law, nothing has changed.

How many people have died? I’m so angry about this. Because it was an unavoidable death.

And all day I’ve wanted to write this blog. It’s so simple.

Thanks to Adrian Sie who commented on my last blog with this, “My advice is never, ever to eat anything that COULD contain any of your allergen triggers if you haven’t seen the ingredients”

This has been my mantra for years. I have made mistakes. I have eaten out and ended up in A&E. This has happened more than once. It’s happened too many times.

I have severe life threatening allergies to nuts, dairy and soya and a mild allergy to wheat.

You could ask, why did I ever take that risk? Because I am only human. And because on every occasion, I trusted someone.

But you should never do this. We are all humans and a verbal communication is JUST NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE!

Don’t play Russian roulette with your life.

Take care. Read labels. And if you don’t have labels, and I mean a full list of ingredients and allergens in bold, don’t eat it. Simple!

YOU WILL NOT STARVE!
I had to share this photo of me at Soho coffee shop, which had a snack bar I could eat, with ingredients and allergens labelled… there are no excuses for not labelling…

(those crazy people are my sister and my Mum… long suffering both)

First world problems people. Yeah it sucks if there is no food you can eat… just live! Don’t take risks. Go hungry and live. Please!

Stay safe allergy warriors!

How does this make you fee? Do you have anaphylaxis? Will you be more wary now? or are you always very careful? Has this put you off eating at Pret or other cafes, restaurants and fast food establishments?