GLUTEN FREE awareness magazine March 2019 | Page 35

Eating Out survey results Catering Gluten Free cards
Nearly 2,500 participants took part in our recent Eating Out survey
nationally, providing some striking results to add weight to our
#treatglutenseriously campaign and work with the food service
sector in general. These cards were designed with two purposes in mind. Firstly, for
people with coeliac disease the card identifies your gluten free
dietary requirement, so you don’t have to explain yourself each time
you dine out. Secondly, on the back of the card we have outlined
the resources available to help food service provide gluten free food.
While responses highlighted high levels of negative emotion (e.g.
worry and anxiety around eating out and finding trustworthy gluten
free options) and bad experiences (e.g. falling ill and requiring
medical advice following suspected gluten exposure), the flipside
shows that when a gluten free diner has a good experience, they
are very loyal and more importantly, they rarely dine alone. These
positive messages inform the food service industry that catering
gluten free using best practice is good for their business - WIN-WIN.
You can help increase the number of businesses who offer gluten
free options prepared using best practice, by handing these cards
out to cafés, restaurants and other food service businesses, letting
them know about the resources we have available for them.
Members and affiliates of Coeliac Australia can collect packs of the
Catering Gluten Free cards for free from our regional offices, or pay
a small fee online to cover postage costs. The cards can also be
purchased by members of the public through our online shop.
How to make the most of the Catering Gluten Free cards
1. Pick a quiet time (preferably not at the busiest time of the day)
2. It helps if you are ordering something at the time (even a coffee)
3. Let them know you need gluten free options because you have
coeliac disease
4. Ask them if they are aware of the resources and programs that
are offered by Coeliac Australia
5. Leave a card with a manager or owner
6. The cards are designed to be handed out any time, not just
during Coeliac Awareness Week
Top tips for using Catering Gluten Free cards
• Try businesses where you feel comfortable eating
their gluten free options; they may be interested in the
accreditation program.
• Try businesses where you would like to be able to eat
something; they may be interested in the online training or
other free resources.
Look for this logo when
choosing somewhere to
dine out, it means you
can be confident your
meal will be gluten free.
• Don’t get disheartened if the business isn’t interested.
• Try a friendly approach – Coeliac Australia is not the
‘gluten police’ but we are hoping that with your help
we can spread the word on how food businesses can
provide genuine gluten free options.
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