Food allergies have been a concern to the hospitality industry for some time, and some tragic recent cases have raised it to the top of the agenda for diners too.
Ingredient labelling is being tightened up, and now bars, restaurants, and food outlets across the UK are already working hard to identify potential risks.
But as anyone who has researched allergens knows, it’s difficult to be comprehensive.
The NHS warns there are many types of allergic reaction to ingredients – not counting milder intolerances that may also discomfort customers.
Creating a definitive list of all potential allergens is a problem for any chef – one terrible recent fatality was caused by a reaction to sesame in a baguette, which was not labelled.
The fear of missing something important keeps chefs awake at night – and rightly. Food allergies cause ten deaths a year or more in the UK, the Food Standards Agency says.
And how do you also make sure your serving staffs are aware of everything on your allergen list?
Restaurant management software is thankfully rising to meet the challenge.
NFS Technology – who provide the leading EPOS restaurant management software Aloha – have created a strategic partnership with the pioneering food and beverage management platform Kitchen CUT.
Kitchen CUT (www.kitchencut.com) provides cloud-based, scaleable SaaS technology that delivers complete control over F&B operations.
By combining our Aloha restaurant management software with Kitchen CUT’s system, hospitality teams have the technology to keep control of new dishes and beverages.
The combination covers areas ranging from cost control to ingredient selection and allergen warnings.
Chris Cartmell, the NFS head of sales for hospitality, says: “We’ve added enhanced functionality to our feature-rich EPOS restaurant management software.
“With Aloha, chefs can now devise dishes in the confidence of total control right down to individual ingredient level.
“The software allows chefs to create menus within tight cost controls and reveals any potential allergens in ingredients.
“This live information pulls through to every sub-recipe, recipe and dish where the ingredient is used, which makes allergens totally traceable.”
Out in the restaurant, serving staff using Aloha EPOS handheld tablets or dedicated devices to take orders at tableside can access allergen information from Kitchen CUT’s spec sheets and menus.
Phil Linton, Commercial Director of Kitchen CUT, said: “It’s our combined objective to help create increased transparency and profitability for restaurants.
“We are looking forward to building on the successful working relationship we’ve established with NFS and their customers over the past year.”
We feel the same, Phil.
And we sincerely believe that our pioneering partnership will help clients to grow their businesses, and also – importantly – help protect the wellbeing of their diners both now and in the future.
