Increasing numbers of people are identifying themselves as gluten and lactose intolerant when dining out with 53% growth in pre-orders with dietary requirements identified this year however the numbers of vegetarians are in decline.
The number of vegetarian dishes ordered in 2014 fell by 4.3% and diners ordering pork-free meals was down by 9.3%, according to data from TellTheChef, the restaurant pre-ordering system.
The numbers of gluten-free orders rose by 12.8% and lactose-free orders rose by 7.05%, while the numbers of nut-free dishes has ordered fell by 5.9%.
“Restaurants are already very good at catering for people with food allergies, as our data proves, and it’s no longer just about perceived common allergies such as nuts and shellfish,” TellTheChef founder and chief executive Andrew Norton said. “Awareness about gluten and lactose intolerance, in particular, has grown in recent years with many establishments now catering for the requirement.”
The data has been compiled by TellTheChef, the Luke Johnson-backed restaurant ordering system business which has processed more than 1.7m dishes.
