Re(2): Food Restrictions and Feasts

[Sue Wensel]

> Date sent:      8 Apr 1997 13:54:40 -0500
> From:           "Sue Wensel" <swensel at brandegee.lm.com>
> Subject:        Food Restrictions and Feasts

> I would like to ask a question that occurred to me while reading the Saracen
> line:
>     How do you handle getting people with dietary restrictions to notify
>     you *before* you start buying food?
> 
> I just cooked an event and had *one* person (out of nearly 150 attendees) who
> told me ahead of time that she had an allergy.  Meanwhile, I know several
> local vegetarians did not tell me, but I made some vegetarian dishes anyway,
> else they would have had nothing to eat as everything had meat products (even
> just broth) in it.  I found this quite frustrating and am seeking advice for
> the future.
> 
> I also had one person attend who could not eat a single dish I made because of
> dietary restrictions.  At least he was prepared to eat off-board, which wasn't
> scheduled and everyone knew that.  If he had let me know ahead of time, I
> could at least have made something special for him for lunch and dinner.  
> 
> Derdriu
> 


IMO, it is the responsibility of individuals who have allergies and 
other type of food restrictions to notify the cook.  It is not the 
cook's responsibility to guess what people are allergic to or to 
figure out that x amount of the populace are vegitarian's.  IMO, it is 
the cook's responsibility to provide a well cooked feast that they 
can be reasonably certain most people will consume.

But it is the responsibility of the cook or designated person to 
provide the populace with a contact to impart this information.



Phyllis L. Spurr
aka Eowyn ferch Rhys, Elfsea