Allergy Policy
1. What if I have an allergy?
If you have a food allergy or intolerance, or someone you are ordering for has, please contact the restaurant to check whether your chosen food is suitable, before placing your order. You can call the restaurant directly through our app by selecting your order through the account section and tapping help, alternatively, for web-users we can provide the restaurant’s phone number to customers who contact us directly via email. If you’re unable to contact the restaurant, we recommend not placing or cancelling your order. Read the FAQs below for more information about Lancaster Eats’ allergy policies.
2. Why aren’t Lancaster Eats able to guarantee my meal is suitable for my allergies or intolerances?
We wish we could, but the restaurants themselves are responsible for cooking your order. If you want to make sure their food won’t affect your food allergies, they’re the best people to get in touch with. Additionally, the restaurant is best placed to answer your questions about ingredients used in your meal and how they are cooked, i.e. whether shared fryers and grills are used and whether this may mean that the food is not suitable for you.
3. Why should I have to contact the restaurant if I have a food allergy or intolerance? Why can’t Lancaster Eats check?
Because we’re not prepared to put your health at risk. The only person who can tell you exactly what’s going into your food is the chef cooking it for you. Even if we confirmed a restaurant’s menu was suitable for people with food allergies or intolerances, they could always change their ingredients at a later date. Then we’d be giving you out-of-date information. We don’t want to take that risk with your health.
4. How does Lancaster Eats make sure the information on Lancaster Eats is correct?
When a restaurant signs up to Lancaster Eats, they have to provide us with up-to-date menu information. We then include this on their dedicated Lancaster Eats page. We also require them to notify us if any menu details change.
5. How do I get in touch with a restaurant?
You can call the restaurant directly through our app by selecting your order through the account section and tapping help If this number does not show up. Alternatively, for web-users we can provide the restaurant’s phone number to customers who contact us directly via email. Please state clearly that your your query is related to food allergies and that you require the restaurant’s phone number. PLEASE DON’T PROVIDE YOUR ALLERGEN INFORMATION TO THE LANCASTER EATS CUSTOMER SERVICE ADVISOR – PLEASE CALL THE RESTAURANT DIRECTLY AS THEY WILL BE THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO CAN TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT IS GOING INTO YOUR MEAL.
6. Aren’t food businesses required by law to provide information about certain allergens?
Definitely. Restaurants usually give customers access to this information by making it clear you can obtain food allergy information by contacting a member of the restaurant staff. We’re always happy to give you the restaurant’s number so that you can call them directly to inform them of your food allergies and/or intolerances and check whether your chosen food is suitable for you, before placing your order directly with them.
7. Does Lancaster Eats do anything to help restaurants comply with the law?
We are working closely with the Food Standards Agency and other industry authorities to help raise awareness among restaurants about their obligations and how they can provide the best service to customers with food allergies and/or intolerance.
8. I have some more questions about food allergies – what can I do?
We always recommend you contact the restaurant directly to discuss your specific food allergies or intolerances before placing your order directly with them.