Gluten-Free & Allergen Information

At Lola’s Kitchen, we believe everyone should be able to enjoy great food with confidence. We take food safety seriously and follow best-practice procedures when handling gluten-free ingredients and preparing food for customers with dietary requirements.

We offer vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options, and we take care to minimise the risk of cross-contamination throughout our food preparation and cooking processes.

Our Approach to Gluten-Free Food Preparation

We follow established best-practice procedures to help prevent gluten from coming into contact with gluten-free ingredients and dishes. These include careful ingredient storage, thorough cleaning, appropriate equipment handling and staff awareness.

1. Careful Ingredient Storage

We keep gluten-free ingredients separate from ingredients containing gluten. Ingredients are stored in sealed, clearly labelled containers, with gluten-containing ingredients stored below gluten-free ingredients to help reduce the risk of contamination.

We also use colour-coded stickers or containers to make gluten-free ingredients easy to identify. We regularly check our storage areas for potential cross-contamination risks and have procedures in place to deal with spillages.

2. Thorough Cleaning and Hygiene

Cleanliness is essential when preparing gluten-free food. We ensure that utensils are properly washed before use, work surfaces are thoroughly cleaned and hands are washed before handling gluten-free ingredients.

We also take care of our kitchen clothing, including regularly cleaning aprons and chef whites. Separate aprons are used for gluten-free preparation to help reduce the risk of cross-contamination.

3. Equipment and Utensils

Where appropriate, we use dedicated equipment for gluten-free preparation. This includes keeping gluten-free equipment separate from equipment used for gluten-containing foods.

Knives and chopping boards are dedicated to gluten-free preparation or thoroughly cleaned before use. We also take care with other equipment and utensils that could transfer gluten between ingredients or dishes.

4. Cooking Gluten-Free Food

We take particular care when cooking gluten-free dishes, as cooking alone does not remove gluten.

Our procedures include using fresh water when boiling gluten-free foods, rather than reusing water that may have been in contact with gluten. We also pay attention to cooking equipment, including fryers, grills and ovens, to minimise the risk of cross-contamination.

Where appropriate, dedicated or separate cooking equipment and areas are used. Gluten-free food is placed on clean baking trays and oven racks, and we take care to prevent contact with gluten-containing foods during cooking.

We also consider less obvious sources of cross-contamination, such as shared toasters, cooking oils, basting brushes and ingredients that may contain traces of gluten.

5. Preparation and Handling

We plan our food preparation carefully to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. Where practical, gluten-free dishes are prepared first, then covered and protected before gluten-containing dishes are prepared.

We take care to keep ingredients, utensils and prepared food separate throughout the process, including when food is prepared in advance.

6. Staff Awareness and Training

Food safety is a team responsibility. We ensure our team understands the procedures we follow when preparing gluten-free food and the importance of preventing cross-contamination.

We regularly review our processes, check for potential risks and keep our procedures clear so that safe food handling remains a priority throughout the kitchen.