CATERING FOR SOMEONE WITH COELIAC DISEASE

Prior to your dinner date or lunch, touch base with your guest. They may have some helpful meal suggestions or be happy to contribute to the meal.

If there are any products or ingredients that you are unsure of, double check with your guest; you can even message them with a picture of the packaging and ingredients to confirm.

Your guest may be a little nervous about venturing out and feel they are being an inconvenience. Open communication will help everyone feel more comfortable and allow for an enjoyable occasion.

Consider in advance what you will prepare; and where possible, make as much of the meal gluten free as possible to help you manage any risk of cross contact.

Whether you keep it simple with plain meat and salads or get a bit adventurous and try a new gluten-free recipe you found online, give yourself time to work through what will or won’t be suitable for your guest with coeliac disease. This will include identifying suitable meals or recipes and sourcing suitable ingredients (get some suggestions from your guest and use the Coeliac Australia resources available to you to identify suitable products).

Take care during food preparation to manage the risk of cross contact (more tips on managing cross contact can be found here).

Have a quiet word to your guest with coeliac disease to let them know which dishes are gluten free. If serving the food buffet style, it may help to have food flags to help your guest identify suitable foods. Locating all gluten-free dishes together at one end of the table is also helpful.

Where packaged products have been used, keep the empty packaging so that your guest can check ingredients. This can help them feel more at ease.

If pre-dinner nibblies are served, use only gluten-free crackers or keep gluten free and gluten containing options separate and easy to identify to avoid mix ups.