Sir, – I can empathise with Gerry Boland (“Why are vegans seen as annoying?”, Letters, July 6th), and I can assure him that coeliac diners can also be seen in eating establishments as equally annoying.
Coeliac diners are those with a medical allergy who cannot eat food containing wheat, barley or oats, thus requiring a gluten-free meal.
To the accompaniment of some eye-rolling by café or restaurant staff, coeliacs can sometimes be considered simply as “faddy eaters”.
Some restaurants have an excellent understanding of the condition, but there are others who have not.
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Going to a restaurant for the first time can be a gamble, so coeliacs tend to find an understanding establishment and stick with it, thus limiting their choice.
More education of staff is needed.
It would also help if newspaper and magazine restaurant reviewers would report on the ability of the establishment to cater for coeliacs. – Yours, etc,
TONY CORCORAN,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 14.
