Allergen Questions From Guests: What Front-of-House Must Know (UK)

Short answer: In England, restaurants must tell customers if non-prepacked food contains any of the 14 allergens (Food Information Regulations 2014, regulation 5). They can do it in writing or verbally, with a notice saying to ask staff. FSA guidance says staff must be trained on allergens and recommends written information backed by a conversation.

This post covers the position in England, checked on 7 October 2026. The Food Standards Agency's guidance quoted here also applies in Wales and Northern Ireland, which have their own versions of the regulations (in Wales, the Food Information (Wales) Regulations 2014). Scotland has its own regulations and guidance, so Scottish businesses should check those. Your local authority enforces the rules and has the final word on your premises.

What are the 14 allergens staff must know?

The 14 allergens are the ones UK law requires food businesses to declare. The FSA lists them as:

The legal list sits in Annex II of the assimilated (formerly retained EU) Regulation 1169/2011, which UK law still uses. Staff don't need to know the annex number. They do need to know the 14 names, and that "gluten" and "tree nuts" each cover several foods.

What does the law require for food that isn't prepacked?

If a dish contains any of the 14 allergens, the customer must be able to find that out. That applies to restaurant meals, café food, buffets and anything else served loose.

The chain of law is:

• Assimilated Regulation (EU) 1169/2011, Article 44(1)(a): for food sold without prepackaging, giving allergen information "is mandatory".
• Food Information Regulations 2014, regulation 5 (England): the business can provide that information "by any means the operator chooses, including... orally."
• The condition on the verbal route: if you plan to give the information orally, you must indicate that details "can be obtained by asking a member of staff." That indication has to be on a label on the food, or on a "notice, menu, ticket or label that is readily discernible by an intending purchaser."

The FSA's guidance puts it in plain terms: if you provide non-prepacked foods, you "must supply allergen information for every item that contains any of the 14 allergens." It gives two ways to do it: full written allergen information on a menu, chalkboard or information pack, or verbally, "with a written notice placed in a clearly visible position" explaining how customers can get the information.

Is written allergen information now required for restaurants?

No, not as of 7 October 2026. The law still allows verbal provision for non-prepacked food. What has changed is the FSA's advice.

In February 2025 the FSA published best-practice guidance for non-prepacked food. It recommends that allergen information should be "readily available, if possible, without consumers having to ask for it, such as on the main menu," that businesses "should ask all consumers whether they have any allergen requirements," and that staff "should be sufficiently trained to have a conversation about allergens and know where to find the information they need." The guidance itself says businesses are not required by law to follow best practice.

The FSA Board decided in December 2023 to write to ministers about making written allergen information mandatory for food service businesses. We found no law making that change in force when we checked. Watch for it: if it happens, menus and allergen matrices that already follow the best-practice guidance will need little change.

What is Natasha's Law and does it affect front-of-house?

Natasha's Law is the common name for the labelling rules for food prepacked for direct sale (PPDS). In England they came in through the Food Information (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2019, which came into force on 1 October 2021.

PPDS is food packed on the same premises it's sold from, before the customer orders it. The FSA's examples are sandwiches, salads and pies made and sold on the premises. PPDS food needs a label with a full ingredients list, with allergenic ingredients emphasised within it.

For a restaurant, PPDS usually means the grab-and-go fridge, pre-wrapped bakes on the counter, or sandwiches made in the morning for lunch sales. Front-of-house staff should know which products are PPDS so they don't sell an unlabelled one, and so they point guests to the label first, then to the kitchen if there's any doubt.

What must front-of-house staff do when a guest mentions an allergy?

Staff must give accurate information about the 14 allergens in what they serve, and must not guess. The FSA's guidance says that if a business can't avoid cross-contamination, it should tell customers it can't provide an allergen-free dish.

A simple procedure for every server:

1. Ask. Following FSA best practice, ask every table whether anyone has an allergy or intolerance, not only those who raise it.
2. Listen and record. Write the allergen on the order. FSA best practice says the information should be "accurately recorded, easy to understand, available to the person preparing the food and the person serving the food."
3. Check the source, not your memory. Use the current allergen matrix or recipe sheet. If the dish isn't on it, or you're not sure, ask the kitchen. Never say "it should be fine."
4. Ask the kitchen about changes. Substitutions, specials and supplier changes are where mistakes happen. The FSA says businesses need to consider the impact when recipes change.
5. Be honest about cross-contamination. If the kitchen can't keep the allergen out (shared fryer, shared prep area), tell the guest plainly so they can decide.
6. Flag the plate. Use your house method so the dish goes to the right person.
7. Know the emergency plan. Who calls 999, where the first-aid kit is, and who tells the manager. Write it down and train it.

For delivery and takeaway, the FSA guidance says allergen information must be given at two stages: before the purchase is completed, and when the food is delivered. Staff taking phone orders need to know this.

What should allergen training for staff cover?

The FSA says food businesses must make sure staff receive training on allergens. It doesn't set a syllabus or a certificate, so the content is up to you. Cover at least:

• The 14 allergens and the foods each one includes
• Where your allergen information lives and how to read your matrix
• Your ordering procedure (the seven steps above, in your own words)
• Which of your products are PPDS and how they're labelled
• Cross-contamination risks in your kitchen and what you can't guarantee
• Takeaway and delivery rules
• What to do if a guest has a reaction

Record who was trained and when. Retrain when the menu or allergen matrix changes, not only once a year. The FSA publishes free tools, including an allergen matrix template and allergy signs, alongside its guidance. For the wider onboarding plan, see our post on restaurant staff training.

Who enforces allergen rules and what happens if you get it wrong?

Local authorities enforce the allergen rules. The FSA guidance says failure to comply can lead to action from the local authority, including improvement notices, and prosecution is possible. The harm from a mistake can be far worse than any fine, which is why the procedure matters more than the paperwork.

How can staff get the right allergen answer during service?

The safest answer comes from your current written records, every time. With Verika, a server can ask "does the lamb special contain mustard?" by voice or text and Verika answers from the allergen matrix and recipe sheets you've uploaded or synced from Google Drive or SharePoint, showing which document the answer came from. If the special isn't in your documents, Verika says so instead of guessing and logs the gap for the head chef to answer. The server still checks with the kitchen when in doubt. More on how this works for restaurants and cafés on our hospitality page.

Sources

1. Food Standards Agency, "Allergen guidance for food businesses", GOV.UK, updated 17 July 2026. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/allergen-guidance-for-food-businesses/allergen-guidance-for-food-businesses
2. Food Standards Agency, "Allergen information for non-prepacked foods: best practice", GOV.UK, published 24 February 2025. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/allergen-information-for-non-prepacked-foods-best-practice/allergen-information-for-non-prepacked-foods-best-practice
3. The Food Information Regulations 2014 (SI 2014/1855), regulation 1 (application to England) and regulation 5. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/1855/regulation/5
4. Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 (assimilated), Article 44 and Annex II. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2011/1169/article/44
5. The Food Information (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2019 (SI 2019/1218), regulation 1 (in force 1 October 2021). https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1218/regulation/1/made
6. The Food Information (Wales) Regulations 2014 (WSI 2014/2303). https://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2014/2303/contents/made
7. Food Safety Magazine, "UK FSA aims to make written allergen information a requirement for foodservice businesses" (FSA Board decision, December 2023). https://www.food-safety.com/articles/9116-uk-fsa-aims-to-make-written-allergen-information-a-requirement-for-foodservice-businesses