Before going to stay at a hotel or bed and breakfast, it can be a good idea to announce your need for gluten free meals before you arrive. This way, your request is more likely to be taken seriously, and the chef is more likely to take in all the important points. (Note I say ‘more likely’ – this isn’t foolproof and you should always make a point of checking!)
Dear …
I will be staying in your hotel on……………………….and have special dietary requirements which you need to be aware of. I have a medical condition called Celiac Disease and have to follow a strict gluten free diet. This letter outlines what I can eat and what may make me ill. I respectfully ask that my needs are taken into consideration when menu planning during my stay. I appreciate your help and understanding in providing me with food I can eat and ensuring I have an “incident free” stay at your hotel.
Please contact me if you have any questions about this request.
Regards
Food I can eat
Rice, maize, potatoes, all kinds of vegetables and fruit, eggs, cheese, milk, meat and fish, nuts, seeds, pulses and beans as long as they are not cooked with wheat flour, batter, breadcrumbs or sauces.
Any food specifically labelled as gluten free.
Wine.
Food that will make me ill
Any food that contains flours or grains of wheat, rye, barley and oats, including spelt flour.
Marinades, sauces, mayonnaise, pickles, gravy mix.
Pasta and couscous.
Batter, breadcrumbs, pastry
Soy sauce and mono-sodium glutamate (MSG)
Stock or bouillon
Modified starch
Malt or malt flavouring (common ingredient in breakfast cereals) and malt vinegar.
Any ingredient listed as a “natural flavouring”.
Processed meat or seafood.
There is a large list of forbidden ingredients (e.g. dextrin and malto-dextrin, citric acid), which generally are found in processed and prepared food. As a simple rule, processed and prepared foods are not allowed.
Beer, grain based spirits.
As tiny amounts of gluten can make me ill, cross-contamination with other foods, such as on chopping boards, grills or hotplates must be avoided.