Allergen & Food Safety Notice

Food allergen information and safe handling

Effective date: 11 August 2026

Last updated: 13 August 2026

1. Our approach

Food safety and accurate allergen information are central to our service. We provide allergen information based on verified product specifications, supplier labels and, for food we prepare, the actual recipe and ingredient information in use.

2. The 14 regulated allergens

UK food information rules recognise 14 allergens that must be declared when used as ingredients in relevant food: celery; cereals containing gluten, including wheat, rye, barley and oats; crustaceans; eggs; fish; lupin; milk; molluscs; mustard; peanuts; sesame; soybeans; sulphur dioxide and sulphites above the applicable threshold; and tree nuts.

3. Product-specific allergen information

General statements on this page do not replace product-specific allergen information. We provide the relevant allergen information on each applicable product page based on the actual product. For example, fish products are identified as containing FISH, crayfish as containing CRUSTACEANS, and kuli kuli as containing PEANUTS where peanut is an ingredient. Prepared meals use their verified recipe-specific allergen profile.

4. Online and telephone orders

For non-prepacked food sold online or by phone, written allergen information will be available before you complete the purchase and again when the food is delivered or collected. We will not rely only on a request to "contact us for allergens" where written pre-purchase information is required.

5. Prepacked and prepacked-for-direct-sale food

Where a product is supplied as prepacked food, the ingredients and allergen information on the product label remain important and are intended to match the information presented online. Where we produce food that is legally classed as prepacked for direct sale, it is labelled with the required name and full ingredients list, with regulated allergens emphasised as required by law.

6. Cross-contact ("may contain") statements

Precautionary allergen statements such as "may contain" will only be used where supported by a genuine cross-contact risk assessment. We will not use blanket precautionary wording as a substitute for proper ingredient control, cleaning, segregation and supplier information.

7. Customers with allergies

If you have a food allergy, intolerance or coeliac disease, read the product-specific information every time you order because recipes and supplier specifications can change. If any information is unclear, contact us before placing the order. For severe allergies, please contact us before ordering a prepared meal so that we can confirm whether we can safely meet your requirements. We will not claim that a meal is allergen-free unless this has been specifically verified.

8. Prepared meals and ingredient changes

Our prepared-meal recipes are managed through a recipe-specific allergen matrix. If an ingredient, brand or recipe changes, we review the allergen matrix and online product information before the changed product is sold. We do not make a substitution that changes an allergen profile without appropriate customer information and, where required, agreement.

9. Receiving and storing food

Follow all storage, use-by/best-before and reheating instructions supplied with the product. Refrigerate or freeze temperature-sensitive food promptly. Do not consume food if you reasonably suspect contamination, damaged packaging, unsafe temperature or undeclared allergen exposure.

10. Food safety or allergen incident

If you believe a product has caused or could cause an allergen or food-safety problem, stop using it and contact us immediately. Keep the product, packaging, label and order information where safe to do so. If someone has a serious allergic reaction, seek urgent medical help rather than waiting for a response from us.

11. Contact

Email: info@barrelsandbasket.co.uk | Phone/WhatsApp: +44 7359 136074