With the rise in awareness surrounding food allergies, more and more restaurants and cafes are stepping up when it comes to providing alternatives for people who are gluten free, lactose intolerant, vegan or following other special diets, so you can be safe in the knowledge that you will find great food to enjoy when you visit. Luton and Bedford are particularly good places for vegans and the gluten free looking for somewhere to eat.
While self-catering is a great option for anyone concerned about the suitability of menus, (you can take a look at our self-catering properties here), we have every confidence that the chefs that can be found in restaurants, cafes and hotels all across Bedfordshire will be happy to cater for you if the menu doesn’t already. Going self-catering though is a great way to get the best of both worlds, you can eat out as much as you want, but also select your favourite free from or alternative products from shops and markets so you can enjoy a little bit of everything.
If you are staying for a few days and have chosen to book into a hotel or B&B, be sure to tell them about your dietary requirements when booking and they will be able to offer advice on the best places to eat and also reassure you about their own menus. Because there has been a rise in popularity of vegan diets and more awareness regarding the clear labelling of food, you’ll often find that the majority of places will now have separate menus for those that are gluten, dairy and meat free, so be sure to ask for these when you sit down for your meal. These menus are also leagues better than they used to be, with vegans and coeliacs now able to enjoy a wide range of restaurant favourites, including lasagnes, burgers and even deserts!
You’ll find that many of the chain restaurants will have plenty of choice for those of you on alternative diets, but that doesn’t mean you have to avoid the independent establishments or smaller cafes and tea rooms. Where possible, many places put their menus online so you can see what is available to you and those with a changing, seasonal menu or dishes of the day will have clear signage advertising the alternative options in the dining room. Of course, when in doubt, don’t be afraid to ask to speak to a member of the kitchen team. We all know that chefs are proud of their dishes and passionate about food. All they want is for people to have a wonderful time at their restaurant and to enjoy their food, so the majority of them are happy to make you something off menu or adapt menu items to make it suitable. If you’re planning to go to somewhere that you know is going to be busy or popular that you can’t see any obvious options for, contact them ahead of your meal just to give them the heads up and let them know of any special diets in your party. This way they’ll be more prepared for when you come in.
Even if you aren’t dairy, gluten or meat free, you should try new things when on holiday, so why not go to a vegan only restaurant or give one of the alternative options a try, you might be pleasantly surprised!
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