Allergy and dietary policy
Page Library
Allergy and dietary policy
An allergy and dietary policy for cooking schools, bakeries, supper clubs and food membership sites. It sets out in plain language how guests should tell you about allergies, the major allergens handled in your kitchen, which diets you can adapt classes for, the limits of a shared kitchen, and what happens in class and with online recipes. The sample is written for a Portland cooking school with an online club. Change the table and timings to match how your kitchen really works, and have it reviewed before you publish it.
Allergy and dietary policy
We want everyone to cook and eat safely at Copper Pot Cooking School. This policy explains how to tell us about allergies and dietary needs, what we can adapt, and the honest limits of a busy shared kitchen.
Please call us at (555) 014-2290 before you book. Our kitchen handles all the major allergens every day, and some classes cannot be made safe for severe or airborne allergies.
1. Telling us about your needs
Tell us about every allergy, intolerance or dietary requirement when you book, using the dietary box on the booking form. If you are booking for someone else or for a group, it is your responsibility to ask every guest and pass their needs on.
- Public classes: at least 72 hours before the class.
- Private events: at least 10 days before the event, with a full list of guests' needs.
- Gift cards: the person booking the class should add their needs when they redeem.
Needs we learn about on the day may not be possible to accommodate. If we cannot adapt the class safely, we will offer you a credit for another class instead.
2. Allergens in our kitchen
These are the nine major food allergens and how often they appear in our classes.
| Allergen | How often we use it | Can a class be adapted? |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | Most classes | Usually, with plant-based swaps |
| Eggs | Most baking and pasta classes | Sometimes; not for fresh pasta or custards |
| Wheat and gluten | Most classes | Sometimes; flour is in the air during baking classes |
| Peanuts | A few world kitchen classes | Yes, and these classes are marked |
| Tree nuts | Some baking and dessert classes | Usually |
| Soy | Asian cuisine classes and some sauces | Sometimes |
| Sesame | Several world kitchen classes | Usually |
| Fish | Seafood classes | Yes, with a substitute protein |
| Shellfish | Seafood classes | Yes, but steam and splatter travel; avoid if severe |
Every class listing names the allergens in that class's menu. Ingredient labels are available to read at the front desk.
3. What we can adapt
Usually yes
- Vegetarian and vegan
- Dairy-free
- Pescatarian
- No pork or no alcohol in cooking
- Nut-free in most classes
Please ask first
- Gluten-free, especially in baking classes
- Egg-free
- Low FODMAP and other medical diets
- Kosher and halal: we can avoid ingredients, but our kitchen is not certified
Where we adapt a dish, you will usually cook a separate version at your own station with swapped ingredients. It may taste and look different from the class recipe, and our chefs will explain the changes.
4. What we cannot promise
We are a teaching kitchen, not an allergen-free facility. Many guests share counters, sinks, ovens and the air, and flour, spices and cooking steam travel. Even with careful cleaning and separate tools, we cannot guarantee that any dish is completely free of an allergen.
For that reason we may decline a booking, or suggest a different class, if we do not believe we can keep you safe. We would always rather have that conversation than take a risk.
5. On the day of your class
- Remind your chef. Tell the chef about your needs as soon as you arrive, even if you told us when you booked.
- Use your marked station. Guests with allergies get a station marked with a colored card and their own cleaned tools.
- Taste with care. Only taste from your own station unless your chef says a shared dish is safe for you.
- Bring your medication. If you carry an epinephrine auto-injector or other medication, bring it and tell the chef where it is.
All of our chefs hold a current food handler card and complete allergen awareness training every year. If a guest has a reaction, our staff will call 911 and follow the guest's emergency plan.
6. Online recipes and video classes
Recipes in The Copper Pot Kitchen Club list common allergens and tested swaps, but you are responsible for checking every ingredient you buy and for cooking safely for the people you feed. Product formulas and labels change, so always read the packaging.
Questions
If you are unsure whether a class is right for you, email hello@example.com or call (555) 014-2290. We are happy to talk through the menu with you before you book.
This policy is a starting point, not legal or food safety advice. Food allergen rules vary by state and county. Review it with your adviser and your local health department, and make sure it matches how your kitchen really works.
Use this page
Make it yours in a few minutes
- Find it in your Control Panel. Go to Content > Page Library and search for "Allergy and dietary policy".
- Add it to your site. Choose a title and a department. The page arrives as a draft, with its pictures copied to your site and your site's name already in place.
- Change the words and pictures. Open it in the Membergate editor, replace the sample text and images with your own, and make it live when you are ready.