It's another Foodie Friday and this week we spoke to the wonderful Erin from Milton Keynes. Erin is a full-time operations manager who also runs a successful lifestyle blog at groggits.com and enjoys nothing more than traveling abroad and eating out!
How many time a week do you eat out and roughly how much do you spend?
"I'm in the process of buying a house, so I eat out a lot less now than I used too in order to save some money. But on average I'd say I eat out around 3 times a week, usually at the weekends. We probably spend around £30-£40 on an evening meal for two and less for lunch or breakfast."
What foods can you not eat or wish to avoid?
"I'm lactose intolerant so I have to avoid dairy. I'm able to take lactase tablets if there's something I really want to eat that has dairy in it, but I will usually try to avoid it. This can be really hard when eating out though - especially as often if you mention an intolerance to the wait-staff you all of a sudden begin to be treated like a potential law suit, so I prefer not to mention it."
How do you decide where to eat?
"I'll usually look up the menu online. Some of the chain restaurants now have allergy filters on their menus, but not all of them do, and I don't always trust that some dairy won't accidentally make it into my meal. Plus I prefer not to eat in chain restaurants! I often like to visit places that have a vegan selection, just so that I know there'll be no dairy in the food."
What would make eating out easier for you and allow you to #eatwithconfidence?
"I'd love to be able to look up a menu selection for restaurants wherever I am, and see what's available for my intolerance. I'm a typical Brit and I don't like being awkward or making a fuss. As a result, it would be refreshing to know that my restaurant of choice wouldn't consider my intolerance a burden and wouldn't make drama out of wanting a nice meal without being treated with kid gloves. By being able to look at their menu ahead of attending, and even conversing with the kitchen staff ahead of time, I would be able to get all of the logistical side of things dealt with, so I could just enjoy my meal once I'm at the table."
Tell us your favourite restaurant?
"Honestly, I'm really loving Pret a Manger right now. Even though they're not strictly a restaurant, their new Veggie range has had me coming back week after week. I know that the food I buy isn't going to be boring, their Vegan range isn't going to be the same old things and it's fresh produce. I 100% trust that their food marked 'vegan' is going to be vegan, with no cross-contamination. I've been really impressed - especially with their vegan brownies!"
Alarmingly 56% of diners with a food allergy said that they have been made to feel like an inconvenience. This needs to stop. Kafoodle's software works to help people like Erin to #eatwithconfidence, without feeling like a burden when they want to dine out.
You can find out more about what Kafoodle can do for you here or by contacting us directly at: info@kafoodle.com or on 02033710450We'd love to hear from you!
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