So why should you stock gluten free foods?

Does boosting sales and repeat business in a market worth over £1 billion in the UK sound good?

Here are some sound business reasons why your venue should stock gluten free foods.

1) Boost your restaurant spend

By adding wheat or gluten free products to your starter and dessert menu you could realistically add £10 per head to your takings. The idea of eating plain salad leaves for a starter or watching enviously as others dig into cakes for dessert is not particularly appealing to allergy sufferers. Gluten free customers will really appreciate any effort made to include options for them and they will leave the meal feeling far more satisfied if you do.

2) Increase accommodation revenue

People with allergies struggle more at breakfast than any other time. They can't eat bread products, cereals or even items like sausages. By offering a gluten free alternative to the usual bacon and eggs you will see people returning time after time.

3) Increase in loyalty and repeat business

Once an allergy sufferer has found a restaurant, hotel or caterer that provides delicious, safe alternatives to wheat and gluten containing products, they become a loyal customer. They will recommend it to fellow sufferers and bring their family and friends along to eat.

4) Increase event business and repeat event business

An added benefit of getting a reputation for a good gluten free service is that you will attract more event business via recommendation.

It is inevitable that you will have to serve gluten free foods at some point. In fact, research has shown that 3-5 star restaurants, caterers and hotels will have at least one gluten or wheat free customer per day.

These customers expect and deserve the best standards of service you can offer. Many, but not all, are high-earning, influential people and communicating with them about your gluten and wheat free offering makes good business sense. If they aren't catered for they won't return, and chances are, their friends won't either.

Caterers will boost sales and repeat business by stocking good quality, versatile gluten and wheat free food. Those customers who have dietary requirements will leave well-fed, and happy to return in the future.

Some chefs will enjoy the challenge of creating interesting wheat or gluten free meals, however as more people are diagnosed, the sheer volume of customers with allergies makes this difficult. It is convenient and safe to have ready made options available, especially when these are bread or cake substitutes which you can adapt to create dishes that gluten and wheat free customers would usually miss out on.

Companies are starting to realise the importance of providing gluten and wheat free foods at events. By providing these options you are making their job easier and encouraging them to come back in the future.

Please have a look at the testimonial section on the site to hear how our customers have used our products.

There is little point in stocking wheat and gluten free products if your customers don't know that they are available. Why not include a positive statement on menus and event booking forms, something simple, to let them know about the service you offer, for example: 'We offer a full wheat/gluten free service. If you have any special dietary needs, please speak to a member of staff and we will do our utmost to help you.'

Of course, not everyone who eats a wheat or gluten free diet has an allergy. There are a growing number of people, in the high-earning bracket, who are concerned about their well-being and have made the choice to have a wheat or gluten free diet. Including 'Lifestyle' options on a menu is very popular and by adding wheat and gluten free cakes you can really boost dessert sales.

It is useful to take any advice you can, here at Delicious Alchemy we can help you to develop gluten free menu options.