Dining with food allergies or intolerances
We understand dining with food allergies or intolerances can be challenging, especially in a new dining environment. To better support your dining experience at our halls, our chefs and kitchen staff are committed to providing clear and accurate information, so that you can make safe and informed food choices.
Here is a step-by-step guide on what to do at your dining hall.
Step 1 -Register your food allergies and/or intolerance with the boarding house.
Make sure the boarding house is aware of your food allergies/intolerances. If you haven’t done so, or need to make any changes, reach out to your house administrator to get this sorted.
Every term, the kitchen team will receive a photo list of students with registered food allergies/intolerances. This allows our chefs to easily identify students, and the list is updated as required by the boarding house.
Step 2 – At the beginning of the year*, a quick meeting with your head chef will be organised.
*or term you start with us
You’ll have a brief conversation with the chef about your food allergies/intolerances and the process put in place to ensure you meals receive safe meals every service. The chef will also introduce and explain the helpful resources available in the hall to assist you in understanding your meals better (see step 4!)
Step 3 – At every meal service, make yourself known to the chefs before selecting your meals.
Students with food allergies/intolerances will have separately plated and labelled mains available for each service.
Breakfast – Reach out to the chef to check if the hot breakfast option* is safe for you. PCU spreads are available.
Lunch & Dinner – Students with food allergies/intolerances will have a separately plated and labelled main meal* available for you.
For dessert, please also head to the kitchen to receive your separately plated dessert*!
Morning Tea, Afternoon Tea & Supper – Students with food allergies/intolerances will have a separately plated snack* available. Head to the kitchen or servery to grab your plate with your name on it!
*Quick note: depending on the day’s menu and your food allergies/intolerances, your main meal or snack might be different from the standard options.
Step 4 – Refer to the menu descriptors and allergen declaration cards to see what allergens are present in the meals of the day.
All the menus served will have a menu descriptor and is listed on an allergen declaration card.
The menu descriptor shows you the name of the menu, and may have certain allergens declared such as vegan, vegetarian, made without gluten, or made without dairy.
Important note!
On the menu descriptor, if it has a declaration of:
· ‘made without gluten’ - this means that the menu is made without any gluten containing ingredients.
· ‘made without dairy’ - this means that the menu is made without any dairy containing ingredients.
The allergen declaration card lists menu items available at each meal service and declares what common food allergens* are present with each menu item. These are displayed at the serveries.
To learn more about allergen declaration cards, what they look like, and what they mean for you, check out our guide here.
If you are unsure of what to have, do not see your food allergen on the card, or would like to know more about the meals, please reach out to one of our friendly team for assistance.
*The 21 common food allergens are: Peanuts, Shellfish (mollusc and crustacea), Milk, Eggs, Fish, Sesame seeds, Sulphites, Wheat, Gluten, Treenuts (Almond, Brazil, Cashew, Hazelnut, Macadamia, Pecan, Pistachio, Walnut, Pine nuts), Soy and Lupin.
Step 5 – Talk to your chef you are not sure about what to have or feel unsure about taking items for the buffet station.
As the self-service stations are a risk of cross-contamination, students with food allergies and/or intolerances have the option to have separately plated items from your chef.
If you have any queries or concerns about any menu items from the buffet stations (e.g., salad bar, BYO sandwich station, dessert station), please do not hesitate to head to the kitchen and ask for your chef. They will be able to provide a separate plate from a fresh batch in the kitchen.
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Please note at the dining hall:
Due to the nature of self-service stations (e.g., salad bars), there is a risk of cross-contamination.
Deep-fried menu items are cooked in the same oil with allergen-containing and non-plant-based foods.
PCU spreads are available at breakfast service, and upon request at the servery outside of these service times.
If you are unsure of what to have, or have any questions about the meals, please talk to one of our friendly staff.
We are committed to providing food that meets high safety and suitability standards and we understand the importance of allergen management and awareness. We have a comprehensive allergen management plan in place and while we take every precaution to avoid cross-contamination, we cannot guarantee our dishes are 100% free from trace amounts of allergens.
It is important to note that our kitchen handles a diverse range of ingredients, including Gluten, Wheat, Milk/Dairy, Egg, Soy, Fish, Shellfish*, Tree Nuts*, Peanuts, Sesame, Sulphites, and Lupin. Products from our suppliers may also be manufactured in facilities where allergen-containing ingredients are present.
*Shellfish includes all mollusc and crustacean. Tree Nuts include, but is not limited to, common Tree Nuts like almond, Brazil nut, cashew, hazelnut, macadamia, pecan, pistachio, walnut, and pine nut.
Should you have any queries or would like to speak to someone about your dietary requirement(s),
please reach out and talk to your head chef.