Let’s be honest, it’s been a while hasn’t it. Since we ate out, since restaurants saw us all, since anything was normal. And over Lockdown I noticed choice for those with allergies reduce dramatically.
For that reason I’m quite nervous, but I have put on my big girl pants and eaten out since Lockdown. I wrote a guest blog for Lindi at The Allergy Table about this. Visit The Allergy Table website to read The How, When, Where, Who, Why, WHAT ALLERGY? for my guide to getting back out there after Covid!
It’s full of tips and advice for people with allergies and those caring for them of the precautions you should take to stay safe. Check, check, and check again and if any meal contains something prebought such as bread, insist on seeing ingredients. Don’t take risks and stay safe!
Places I’ve eaten allergy safe meals after covid
- Pizza Express with my family
- The Ivy House with friends
- Coffee at The Kitchen Larder – a planning mission with a meal out planned in future
- The Three Oaks
- The English Indian – takeaway fish and chips with an Indian Twist
- Picnic in Hyde Park
1). Pizza Express
Always a reliable and safe option. I tend to have the same thing and just pick out the tomatoes as these are not a true allergy for me, just a food that irritates my skin and gut. I know I can trust Pizza Express and one day will try the gluten free and vegan pizza, with some careful planning and no tomato paste!
2). The Ivy House, Chalfont St Giles
This meal was minted lamb with chips. It was a tasty meal but I wasn’t 100% happy with how the staff spoke with me. I had phone before and was told the chef would be able to speak to me to advise what I could have. This never happened despite me chasing. When we arrived the staff weren’t really aware of my allergies and we went over them again, and then the chef did mark up a menu for me so I could select something safe. I was with a group of friends and we had a really lovely evening but staff seemed unsure of the new Covid regulations and were busy and a little off hand with us. I would try to go again and maybe next time manage to speak to someone about the food ahead of time. The meal was very tasty so I’d give it a go. Some of the puddings looked OK but I felt quite full and didn’t want to face another lengthy conversation of Chinese whispers with the kitchen.
3). Kitchen Larder scouting visit
This is my favourite cafe, The Kitchen Larder in Chalfont St Peter and a regular spot for a visit with my Mum. Usually I just have a black coffee. I sometimes have oat milk but they stock Oatly and as any of you will know, I’m not supporting them any more. I hope to persuade The Kitchen Larder to try out some other oat milks. Watch this space!
This lovely cafe also served lunches and caters for gluten free, vegan and allergic customers but so far I’ve not eaten there. I’ve had a few chats with the owner who seems very happy to accommodate me. We’ll see how that goes when she finds out how many allergies I have! That’s one for the future and I look forward to supporting this lovely local business.
I also love the colour of the tables, chairs, mugs and plant pots! #tealforthewin
4). The Three Oaks, Chalfont St Peter
I love this pub and am so grateful that it’s right on my doorstep. Now I always phone and also pop in in person if i can and this visit proves that only using the online booking comments box is not enough. This time I didn’t do my usually due diligence. I was just so exhausted and tired I ran out of time, hence my safe choice of steak, chips and beans.
When we arrived the had no idea someone was coming with an allergy. I plan to speak to them about this as having a booking system should alert staff and kitchen ahead of time. However they always mark up a menu for me and I decided to go for the safest option with my poor prior planning in mind. The beans were served without butter for me and I was assured that the meal was dairy, wheat, soy and nut free. Having not had steak for a long long time I was really pleased to order it anyway and I really enjoyed it. Cooked medium rare, to perfection, it was a great choice.
And if you do go there and have a dairy allergy, ask about the secret dairy free sorbets! I had a scoop of each, chocolate, marmalade and mango.
5). The English Indian, mobile fish and chip van
These are so tasty! This mobile fish and chip van, The English Indian, comes to my village every fortnight and it’s now a regular treat for me. They travel around and deliver fish and chips to other local towns so check out their website (link above) to find out if they are anywhere near you. These are my friends Tim and Vic who joined me to watch the England Semi Final and they didn’t disappoint. A friend (Thanks Becs) told me about these guys because she’d seen that they were gluten free, dairy free and nut free. In fact the only allergen really is the fish. It’s completely safe for me and it’s so lovely to order from a company who understand my need to keep checking. They just keep on confirming each week that yes it’s still safe! The only thing to note is that they also do some halloumi which is cooked in a separate fryer.
6). Free From Allergen friendly picnic in Hyde Park
Thanks to friends Lindi and Julianne a group of us met in London in Hyde Park for a safe picnic. It was such a lovely day out and we all brought our own safe food. Lindi brought her lunch at Chipotle which I’ve never tried before so I should try to check them out.
And so here ends my adventures with eating out after Covid. I’ve also had loads of meals at my Mum’s house, mostly to save money but also because whenever we think to go out it’s always fully booked! Mum and I are planning a visit the The Three Oaks, our little treat each year. It is pricey but we can pretend we are really posh from Chalfont St Peter, put on our best frocks and behave all fancy. Safe in the knowledge that we’ll have a delicious safe meal.
Where have you been out to since lockdown eased? Or are you still being very cautious? If you are nervous, do check out the link above to Lindi’s blog with my guest blog post detailing my advice to ensure you stay safe when eating out.
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