The Anonymous Widower

Comments on Carluccio’s Gluten Free Menu

Several times in the last year or so, I have gone to various of Carluccio’s caffes in various parts of the country.  I’ve tasted it in Docklands, Trafford Centre, Cambridge and St. Pancras and it has been worth the extra wait as it takes a little longer to prepare.

In my view there are two very small problems.

1. The staff just bring the gluten-free menu, so you have to ask for the other one as well, as that is the one with the drinks on it.  I have contacted Carluccio’s about this and hope they change their training.
2. The pasta is very good, but I would love the occasional meat based one.  They used to do an Italian sausage one, but in Cambridge last week, they said that they had to discontinue that, as the supplier had declared the sausage not to be gluten-free.  It does show that they take us seriously, though.

One manager also indicated that they can do other things from the main menu, by a few simple modifications.  For some years, I used to get liver on this basis, but it has dropped off the menu.

I have also heard of only a slight problem at the Trafford Centre, where the waitress was unaware of the menu.  As the manager at that caffe, was the person who introduced me to the menu, I suspect it was a training issue.  But even there, the customer got the gluten-free menu in the end.

I did pass these comments to Carluccio’s and got a reply by e-mail within the hour.  So they take what I said seriously.

February 16, 2010 - Posted by AnonW | Food | Coeliac, Liver