Not a face I pull often. And when I do, it’s usually over bad service rather than bad food.
No one ever wants to be ‘THAT’ person at the table. You know the one. The one who has to order things differently. Can’t eat what everyone else is eating. Needs to be different. I never was that person, but now due to gluten intolerance I’ve been sandwhiched into that role.
Ask any gluten intolerant/coeliac person. The last thing they would want is to draw attention to their dietary requirements. We have far more important things to talk about. In fact, I’d rather not eat then make a fuss. Those who do, were often drama queens to begin with.
If anyone is fussy its my friends or family who have seen what I’m like after a gluten grenade meal. So called, because it’s often hidden and the side effects pretty much explode upon me later. Whether through bloating, stomach pain or discomfort, or through migraines. I always pay for it. Sometimes bent over a bucket for hours. Not fun for the party on either side of the fence.
So when I went to lunch today with the parents at a beach side cafe I was fully prepared to just have a coffee and some fruit. Or a salad without the dressing. Easy, no drama. But spying something I’d like I thought I’d ask if there was any chance it could be made GF or if they had any GF specific meals.
I didn’t stamp my foot or create a scene. Just a question. But clearly it was the wrong thing to do. The manager said I was the fourth person on a GF diet to ask that today and couldn’t I just have some chips or the soup. It only had a little bit of cornflour in it. Or couldn’t I just pick it off?
I had to explain to him that it wasn’t actually diet. I now have to eat this way or I get ill. It isn’t a choice. It’s my way of life. A bit like giving a diabetic some sherbert and saying you’ll be ok with just a little bit.
When your lymph glands swell up and you get physically ill at the hint of gluten in food, you are literally putting your wellness and health in the hands of the service staff who deliver food.
Sound dramatic? Well it kind of is. Why bother? Because I like to eat out with friends and like to think that there will be something I can eat. Even if it is a just coffee.
But even that isn’t always safe. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has sipped their coffee with suspicion and the dread of potentially consuming hidden lactose or gluten spiked soy. I once returned a coffee because the protein in the soy had been burnt, making the coffee itself undrinkable. It happens to the best of us. I wasn’t rude. Just asked for a replacement. Unbeknownst to me until later, my replacement coffee was made on skim and whether it was deliberate or not, I paid for it.
I also know what its like on the other side of the fence. To be on the receiving end of odd and at times difficult requests from customers. But when you work in the service industry, its your job to make customers feel comfortable and to try to at least meet their needs as cheerfully and best you can.
Just because we ask about gluten-free products, it doesn’t mean we are attacking your business, nor do we expect for you to be a GF expert or provide a full menu catering to our every whim. All we’d like is to enjoy a meal/snack with friends and for some flexibility. And if you can be flexible, it is always always very much appreciated.
No one would choose to be gluten-free if they could help it, but just because we are doesn’t mean we don’t deserve good service, nor does it mean we don’t have money to spend that we will very quickly take elsewhere.
So to finally answer the cafe manager’s question today, no there isn’t a pill I can take so I won’t get sick from gluten, but then again, perhaps one for ignorance would be more beneficial.
So on that note, I thought I’d share the below graph I came across. Gave me a giggle and I’ll eat my hat if anyone has not had at least one or two of these kinds of responses
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defloured daily 