Boutique contract caterer Artizian is proud to announce it has exceeded requirements for new EU allergen regulations across its whole business. The news means customers with allergies can dine with complete confidence at any Artizian restaurant.
Above and beyond the basic requirements
Artizian’s Manager for Nutrition and Wellbeing, Catherine Attfield explained:
“Here at Artizian we have wholeheartedly embraced the new EU regulations, doing our best to go above and beyond the basic requirements to make life easier for customers with food intolerances and allergens. As a result, we’ve had some fantastic feedback from customers, with many saying how reassuring it is to have such a wide selection of dishes that they can confidently choose from.”
Fully documented and traceable
In order to meet the new standards Artizian implemented a fully documented and traceable journey of foods and beverages that include the 14 EU food allergens, from supply to service, across their entire business. The Artizian team were exceptionally diligent in every aspect of questioning manufacturing labels and allergen information from their suppliers, so that they could be certain of giving customers complete peace of mind.
Above: every new employee receives one hours training specifically designed to educate and inform them of Artizian’s “gold standard” labelling policies and procedures thus ensuring compliance throughout the business.
Allergen Advisors
Artizian also chose to surpass industry standards by training all of their on-site staff to act as Allergen Advisors capable of responding to customer queries. Having all staff fully trained and aware of allergen risks was a key priority for the business, despite the fact that EU guidelines currently only advise a minimum one front of house and one back of house Allergen Advisor be present during a shift.
Other elements in which the boutique caterer excelled included their cross-contamination controls, clear customer-friendly signage and an abundance of well-located food allergen charts.
Catherine Attfield continued:
“Meeting and exceeding every aspect of the new legislation was a real challenge that required skill and determination from everyone in the business. Achieving such high standards meant the implementation of new policies, procedures and a new way of handling foods and beverages. The tremendous response we’ve had from both clients and customers has reaffirmed how worthwhile this process was.”
Client worries allayed
Involving clients in the implementation process was another priority for the boutique caterer. Artizian client Ceri Jones, Services Manager at Telegraph Media Group had high praise:
“Artizian, as always, are ahead of the pack, and completely took over the handling of this for us. Any worries were allayed as the whole catering team were fully trained, and all labelling in place, months in advance of the 13th December 2014 deadline. We couldn’t have done it without them.”
Setting standards for best practice
Naturally staff at Artizian are delighted to have set such high standards in allergen awareness across their business, Catherine Attfield added:
“We feel this really demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that customers with allergies and intolerances can eat with confidence in all of our restaurants. We’re thrilled to be leading the sector and setting standards for best practice. The EU Food Information for Consumers Regulation is a positive and progressive thing for our customers. It caters to the customer need for clearer and more consistent allergen information on all food. By helping our customers to make safer food choices, a greater sense of wellbeing is achieved.”
Helping customers make safer food choices
Artizian’s Managing Director Alison Frith, who suffers from food intolerance herself, was keen to stress how allergen labelling had always been a priority for the business, she commented:
“When you suffer severely, as I do, from a food intolerance, poor knowledge and lack of information can too easily transform a great experience into a complete disappointment. Artizian has, and always will be focused on labelling allergens used within our food thus helping our customers make safer food choices, each and every day.”
Artizian is set to continue its commitment to its customers in 2015 and will, as always, be looking at new ways to improve their offering and help consumers make informed food choices.
About Artizian
Artizian was founded almost 18 years ago by Alison Frith, after spending over a decade working for other contract caterers. Her company is driven by a passion to source, cook and serve the best fresh food that is nutritionally led and chef inspired to Clients, their staff and guests and contribute positively to their working day. Artizian’s philosophy and values remain unchanged: its simple and straightforward ideas encompass ‘people, food and attention to detail’ which lie at the heart of everything the company does, and it prides itself on matching the right team to the right client, every time. It has the underlying belief that great work comes from great relationships.
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