We've launched digital Allergy Translation Cards ✈️

Summer is fast approaching and holidays are getting booked all round, although saying that, I’m not sure how I feel about still wearing jumpers and having the heating on in MAY but let’s have positive thoughts and pray for a warm and sunny few months.

Summer holidays are the most popular time for us Brits to escape our mundane daily routines and jet off to all areas of the globe to enjoy whatever it is you like to do on holiday, whether that’s chilling by a pool, going on adventures, sightseeing in cities, etc etc.

For the majority of people, the thought of what they’re going to eat abroad is limited to dreaming of gorgeous food and worrying about not having enough time to try all of the restaurants available. But for those of us who have an allergy, an intolerance or of course, coeliac disease, it’s something that can cause a lot of anxiety and panic.

😟 “What if none of the restaurants have any gluten free options?”

😥 “Will restaurants understand what it means to be gluten free?”

😖 “How am I supposed to ask for gluten free/coeliac safe food when I can’t speak the language?”

😔 “What if there's miscommunication and I end up ruining the whole holiday by getting sick?”

Now, every country in the world is aware of allergies and the majority of places, in particular popular tourist destinations, are getting better at understanding dietary requirements and will be able to easily cater for them. The issue you have to remember is, that food safety legislation is different outside of the UK, and you’ll realise quickly that our understanding of food safety is actually pretty good.

And of course, unless you’re jetting off to the USA, Australia or other English speaking countries, the biggest challenge will be the language barrier. It’s hard enough sometimes in the UK trying to get restaurant staff to understand your requirements and communicate effectively with the kitchen staff, let alone having to try and translate what you’re saying.

It would solve most of our problems if we could all speak fluently in every language, and of course some super people out there have that talent, but for others it’s just going to leave us feeling unsure and anxious. Because even if you find GF markings on a menu, if you’re coeliac for example, you’d still need to know whether the food has been cooked in the same fryer etc and how safely it can be made. also. I can deal with having to smell the complimentary fresh bread that’s sat in the middle of the table but not if it’s served on the side of my plate.

So, what’s the answer then? Allergy translation cards! ✅

A lot of businesses and individuals in the UK offer Allergy Translation Cards and they are great and I’ve used them in the past when I’ve travelled. But a lot of the time 1) you have to pay for these and 2) they’re delivered to you as a hard copy. We think that something like this that can help so many people should be more accessible.

So we’ve launched our very own Gluten Free Glee Allergy Translation Cards - and the best thing about them? They’re completely free!

We’ve created translation cards that you can download onto your phone and even take it one step further and add the card to your apple or google wallet so you have it easy to access.

People these days rarely go out with a full wallet or purse so having to remember to take an allergy translation card is an extra thing to carry. 99% of the time you’ll have your phone on you, and that means you’ll have access to our allergy translation cards!

I used our French translation card earlier this year when I was in France and it was a lifesaver, I simply had to open the card from my apple wallet and show it to the server, they were then able to communicate back to the kitchen exactly what my dietary requirements were and I felt so much more settled and at peace knowing that there was no miscommunication between what I was talking about.

We’re launching with the most popular tourist countries first but our aim is to add an allergy translation card for every language people require! But if the language you need isn’t currently on our list, just drop us a message and we’ll create it for you so you have it handy for your trip!

We also acknowledge that some of the translations might not be perfect, so if you have any feedback and would change the wording then please do let us know.

Check out the Gluten Free Directory! 🔍

We’ve also launched the Gluten Free Directory, an online search engine designed to help the millions of people living gluten free to find great GF businesses, products and services!

Click here to read more about the Directory or click on the image above to start exploring! 👆🏻