Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant! When the owner of an award-winning Fish and Chip shop says that he wants a Gluten Free sausage which tastes like a sausage should you have to sit up and take notice?
S
cott Drew of David’s Fish and Chips in Brixham
for every member of a family even if one or more family
in Devon met Ivan Bond, Sales and Marketing
members are gluten intolerant.
Manager of McWhinneys Sausages at a trade show
Scott is someone who speaks with authority of the subject
in Exeter in the early part of 2020. He explained
of gluten intolerance. Not only is he a sufferer himself, but
that he was a fan of McWhinneys Premium sausages, but he
his shop has specialised in supplying gluten free products
had been diagnosed as being Coeliac some five years before
for the past eight years. They have been so successful
and had to face regular torture of frying the sausages he
that in they won a Gold awards in 2016, 2017 and 2018 as
once loved, but was now unable to eat them.
well as Crème de la Creme awards in 2017 and 2018 from
He was delighted to discover that McWhinneys were
FreeFrom Eating Out Awards for companies which specialise
now producing a Gluten Free sausage and he was keen to
in providing food for customers with special dietary needs.
sample the sausage as soon as possible.
The awards, which are run by FoodsMatter, recognise
Unfortunately, a few weeks later the Covid 19 pandemic
excellence in allergen aware, ‘free from’ catering in the food
struck and that changed how business would be done for
service sector, from beach hut cafés to five-star restaurants,
the remainder of the year.
from independent businesses to nationwide chains.
McWhinneys had to shelve the production of Gluten
‘FreeFrom’ food - food free of gluten, wheat, dairy,
Free sausages for a time, but in the late summer they
soya, nuts and other allergens - has become seriously big
were able to resume production of Gluten Free sausages.
business. In December 2014, new regulations came into
Scott contacted Ivan again and was delighted when he was
force requiring all food industry outlets not only to have
finally able to supply him with a sample box of McWhinneys
information about any of the major allergens in their food,
Gluten Free sausages. When he sampled the sausages, he
but to be able to convey that information to their customers
was amazed by the high quality of the sausages. It was just like the McWhinneys Premium sausages which he had enjoyed so much in the past. He was so impressed with the sausage that he felt he had to send an email to Ivan telling him how good the sausages tasted, he opened that email with the words “Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant’. Scott has now added McWhinneys Gluten Free sausages to the regular Gluten Free menu that his customers love. He told us that Gluten Free is a vitally important part of his shop’s offering as they are able to supply meals 14
Fastfood Professional • December and January 2020-21
December and January 2020-21 • Fastfood Professional
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