Catering and guest hospitality
Event allergen information handoff
A guest has told you about an allergy, and the question is how that sentence reaches the kitchen without getting lost on the way.
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The short answer
The organiser's job is to collect what guests report, pass it to the caterer accurately and in writing, and get a written reply. The caterer owns the verified allergen process, including ingredients, preparation and service.
Treat every handoff as a record with a date, a sender, a receiver and a reply. Do not draw any food-safety conclusion yourself.
What the organiser does and what the caterer does
| Organiser | Caterer |
|---|---|
| Collects guest-reported allergies in a separate field | Confirms how allergen information is managed in its own process |
| Sends the details in writing, with guest names only where needed | States in writing how each reported allergy will be handled |
| Names an on-site contact and a reachable phone line | Names the person on site who can answer questions about ingredients |
| Records the caterer's reply and the date | Updates the organiser if the menu or ingredients change |
The handoff in order
- Export allergy answers from registration after the cut-off set in dietary request collection.
- Remove anything the caterer does not need, such as unrelated registration data.
- Send the list to the caterer in one written message, with the event date, meal times and the guest's seat or table if you assign one.
- Ask the caterer to reply in writing with how each request will be met and who is the on-site contact.
- Hold the reply with the event file and pass the contact details to the room and desk leads.
- Repeat the handoff in writing if a late request or menu change arrives, and record the new reply.
Questions for the caterer
- How does your team identify and label dishes that contain or may contain the allergens guests have reported?
- How are reported allergies kept separate from the kitchen order, and who on site is responsible?
- If the menu or an ingredient changes, how and when will we be told?
- What is your process if a guest reports an allergic reaction at the event, and who is the person on site for the venue's own procedure?
- Can you supply your ingredient information in writing for the dishes served?
On the day
Give room staff the caterer's on-site contact and the venue's procedure for a guest who feels unwell. Where a guest has reported an allergy, agree with the caterer in advance how their meal will be identified at service without exposing their name to the room.
If a guest asks about a dish, refer them to the caterer's on-site contact. Staff should not answer on ingredients themselves.
Link to meal labels and counts
Labels on dishes are covered in meal label approval, and category counts in the dietary count reconciliation tool. Neither replaces the caterer's written reply.
Worked example · Fictional example
Allergy handoff for a two-meal conference
Fictional organisation and figures, illustrative only.
A fictional association has 6 guests who reported an allergy among 280 registrations. The secretariat sends the caterer one written message with the 6 details, the event date and the lunch and tea times, and asks for a written reply.
The caterer replies naming an on-site contact and how each of the 6 requests will be met. The secretariat files the reply, shares the contact with the registration desk and room lead, and repeats the handoff in writing when one guest adds a request two days later.
Use this yourself
Allergen handoff record and caterer question pack
Copy the table, one row per handoff or update, together with the question list above.
- Each row has a sender, receiver, date and the caterer's reply.
- Only the details the caterer needs are sent.
- The caterer's on-site contact is on the desk and room lead sheets.
| Date sent | Sent by | Details sent (reference, not names, in this sheet) | Caterer's reply (date) | On-site contact | Follow-up needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- A small number of reported allergies and a caterer who replies promptly in writing.
- One person can send the handoff and file the reply.
- The venue and caterer already have a standard procedure you can ask about.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Several caterers, venues or meals each need a handoff.
- Late requests, menu changes and replies need to be tracked against deadlines.
- Your team wants one person to coordinate the written trail between guests, caterer, venue and the event lead.
Want the written trail with the caterer kept in order?
A conference project lead can send the handoff to the caterer, chase the written reply, keep updates in one record and brief desk and room staff on who to call. Food safety and allergen decisions stay with the caterer and the venue.
Questions organisers ask
Who is responsible for allergen safety?
The caterer's verified process covers it. The organiser passes on what guests report and records the caterer's reply.
Should we print allergy names on place cards?
Agree the method with the caterer first. Many organisers avoid showing a guest's allergy to the room and use a coded identification the caterer controls.
What if the caterer does not reply?
Ask again in writing with a date. Do not assume a request has been accepted until you have a written reply.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.