How to handle allergens when catering for a large event

Are you trying to find the perfect caterer for your next big event, but you have concerns over how guest allergens will get handled?

Trying to organise an event for a significant number of people can be a big hassle. Not only do you need to ensure that everyone gets their invite, the venue is booked, and the start time has been shared, but you also need to find caterers that can accommodate your requirements.

In truth, catering can make or break a big event, so it is no surprise that you are seeking reassurance that your chosen caterer can handle any allergen risks or issues promptly and professionally.

Fear not. We are here to help.

In this article, we will discuss how you can find the perfect caterer for your event by identifying the steps that we take and any high-quality catering service should take to ensure allergens are not an issue.

We will cover the following:

The statistics behind allergen increases.

How to handle allergens when catering a large event.

What we do to ensure every guest has the best food experience.

Allergens are on the rise

It is no secret that allergens are on the rise. We have been at the forefront of luxury event catering for over 30 years, and over that time, we have seen the percentage of guests with allergies increase each year.

But don’t just take our word for it! An article from the BBC back in 2020 showed that people with food allergies increased from 3% in 1960 to 7% in 2018.

That only tells one part of the story. The range of foods people are allergic to has also increased.

How to handle allergens when catering a large event

With that in mind, how do allergens impact how we cater large events? At Blue Strawberry, we take pride in ensuring everyone’s experience with our food is of the highest quality. That’s why we have developed a comprehensive tool which gathers guest dietary requirements with ease ensuring nothing is ever missed – we take everyone’s health and safety seriously!

We also sat down with our Senior Event Manager, Lauren Boatman, to discuss some steps we take to ensure our events occur without any issues.

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with clients across large and small events which naturally means there will be differing allergen requirements. As food trends have changed over the years adapting to allergens is no feat for our chefs – vegan, vegetarian, nuts, shellfish, suplphites – you name it, we’ve created menus fit for each and every guest. It’s something we pride ourselves on – no one should ever feel like they’re missing out on delicious food!”

For a reception

Take dietaries into consideration

When considering allergens and dietary requirements, it’s essential to consider every aspect of catering, from canapés and bowl food to mains and food stations.

While you should always consider these requirements, it becomes especially important for any event with more than 150 guests.

If, for example, you’ve selected six canapés for your event, you will want to cater to meat, fish, vegetarian, vegan, nut-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free guests.

It’s essential to avoid a situation where some guests can only eat one of the canapés offered. We always ensure there are at least two or three completely allergen-friendly canapés on our menus for clients to choose from to ensure no one is left with a less diverse experience.

Print menus with allergens included

When printing your menus for guests to view when they arrive at your event, consider adding the allergen information, as it will help guests feel more comfortable and at ease.

We are always happy for our clients to print menus, but we ask that we see a final version before printing to ensure everything is correct.

Consider the size of the reception

How many people are you estimating will come to your reception? This figure will play a significant factor in identifying how many items you add to your reception menu and the volume of each item you anticipate will be consumed.

As a general rule of thumb, all guests need to be able to eat at least two or three items, depending on what you’re serving.

For a 3–course dinner

Don’t pick based on guest allergens

It can be tempting to try and make the menu as simple as possible to adhere to guest allergens, but a top-quality caterer will have the skills and creativity to serve their entire menu for anyone, with clever substitutes and alternatives.

At Blue Strawberry, we amend or adapt any chosen dish to meet guests’ allergens rather than simply providing a vegetarian option for everyone.

We pride ourselves on never removing an element of a dish without replacing it with something equally delicious.

The guest always comes first.

Your guests always come first when planning your food for a 3-course meal. If a guest has an allergen or dietary requirement that means one of the dishes is no longer suitable, the easy thing to do would be to remove that aspect from the meal.

However, there are other ways to work around guest allergens that doesn’t impact their experience.

Instead, what we tend to do is create a new dish that tailors to their needs and is uncompromising in taste and looks. This approach is why we have been trusted for high-end catering events for over thirty years.

Avoid printing alternative menus

Printing alternative or vegetarian menu options can be tempting, but that can be problematic. Guests might see these options as choices and try to opt for those meals, which can severely slow down service in the kitchen as we attempt to create more dish variety than originally planned.

Submit a menu in advance

One of the easiest ways to ensure your menu meets all allergen requirements is to submit your list of dietary requirements well in advance.

We always ask our clients to send a full list of allergen requirements ten working days before the event to allow our kitchen team to review menu items and make any adjustments, if necessary, to suit each guest.

When the table plan is finished, let us know the full name and table number of every allergen and dietary request. Our trusted head waiting teams will take it from there.

An example menu that meets the criteria

At Blue Strawberry, we have delivered flawless luxury catering services for over 30 years and have been trusted by hundreds of clients with their high-profile events.

To help you achieve perfection at your next catering event, we have listed some of our most loved canapés from our Autumn Winter 2022 menu that you can use for inspiration:

• Truffle mayonnaise, toasted sunflower seeds, savoury meringue (vg) – s / su
• Sushi rice and pickled ginger fritter, wakame and spring onion (vg) – s / su
• Carrot and fennel bhaji, mint yoghurt and carrot chutney (vg) – g / s / su (can be made GF)
• Caramelised squash, pumpkin seed sable and praline (vg) – g
• Chickpea wafer, muhammara, red pepper tuille (vg) – n
• Truffle quavers with parmesan cream and capers – m
• Bubble and squeak, red cabbage ketchup, pine nut emulsion (vg) – Su
• Pumpkin bhaji, harissa yoghurt, pumpkin chutney (vg) – Su

Conquering allergens when catering a large event is easier than you might think

Now you have all of the information you need on how to handle allergens when catering a large event. The next time you are scheduled to host a large event where catering is required, refer back to the points in this list to ensure you have no allergen-related issues and the event is a resounding success.

If you would like to work directly with Blue Strawberry for your next event, we would love to hear from you. Get in touch with us today, and we can start planning your dream menu and provide you with an event your guests will never forget.