Special Dietary Requirements

Our suppliers are not always able to cater for everyone’s needs, so we have created this policy to provide clarity. It has been constructed to help you understand what we can provide, and what we need from you to fulfil your needs as best as possible.

Main points:

• Our scheduled tours offer limited value for people who follow entirely gluten-free, dairy-free, or plant-based diets.
• However, our private tours can accommodate these needs.
• When booking most of our tours, we ask that you provide special dietary information on behalf of all participants for whom you are booking. When asked as part of the booking process, this is a compulsory question which must be answered, even if the answer is ‘none’.
• Everyone has some degree of responsibility – not just our tour guides and supplier staff. Our Tour Guides and/or supplier staff will not ‘police’ what you eat. It is the responsibility of individual tour participants to ask questions about what they choose to eat.  It is not the responsibility of the Tour Guide or our suppliers and their staff to highlight information regarding ingredients unless asked directly in each, individual case.
• We can easily accommodate vegetarian or pescatarian diets if you let us know when you book.

1) What Are Special Dietary Restrictions?

1. 1. We define ‘special dietary needs’ or ‘special dietary restrictions’ (hereafter referred to as ‘SDRs’)as:
      • “Ingredients in food or drink which you cannot consume due to allergies or health-affecting intolerances” OR
      • “Ingredients you choose not consume for ethical reasons”.
   2. SDRs do NOT define:
      • Food, drink, or any ingredients you ‘like’ or ‘dislike’ (i.e., ‘preferences’).
   3. We take SDRs very seriously and will always ensure that you have access to information regarding sample ingredients, if you ask for it.

If you, or anyone in your group, has one or more SDRs, please read the following information carefully before making a booking.

2) Severe Allergies and Intolerances:

1. 1. We define a severe allergy or intolerance as a reaction to a product, which has the potential to cause any substantial, adverse physiological response, or debilitating illness, such as anaphylactic shock, permanent nerve damage, and ultimately, death.
   2. If you have a severe allergy/intolerance, or if you are allergic/intolerant to 3 or more food/drink products, you will not get the best value from any of our tours. We strongly recommend contacting us to discuss how we can potentially accommodate your needs.
   3. All of our supplier kitchens (where the food which you’ll be offered, has been produced) will NOT make any absolute guarantees against cross contamination.
   4. If you suffer from any of the following allergies or intolerances, we do not recommend taking a tour with us, as our suppliers are not all able to fully guarantee against cross contamination or exposure to the product concerned:
      • Nut allergy
      • Celiac disease
      • Milk protein allergy
      • Any other allergy or intolerance, which can lead to debilitating illness or serious adverse health consequences.

3) Our Tours

1. 1. What we offer: Like a tasting menu, our culinary sampling tours offer the best value and experience for participants with a broad palette and a sense of culinary adventure.
   2. Samples you’ll be offered on all our tours are booked and paid for in advance with our suppliers. Subsequently, we are not able to accommodate last minute changes.
   3. We also offer private/bespoke tours, which can be tailored to your needs.  These are the best option for participants who have SDRs.
   4. Having SDRs won’t stop you enjoying an experience with us, but it does mean you may not be able to consume some or all the samples you’ll be offered.
   5. Discounts or refunds: These are not available for anyone with SDRs or anyone who chooses not to consume any sample(s) offered.
   6. Value vs SDRs: If you, or any tour participant for whom you are booking, has any of the following dietary needs, please make careful consideration of the reduced value you/they may experience from a tour, before completing a booking:
      • Gluten intolerance
      • Lactose intolerance
      • Vegan diet
      • Intolerance of multiple different foods or ingredients
   7. Multiple SDRs: If there are some people in your group who each have a different allergy/intolerance/ethical restriction, or if you have any of the above requirements, you may not get the best value from our tours.

You’ll find some information on each of the tour pages of our website (e.g. https://savouringbath.com/tours/food-heroes/ – see “Dietary Information” section). If you don’t find the information you need, please get in touch before making your booking so that we can advise as appropriate.

5) Booking a tour in consideration of SDRs

1. 1. Please check the tour description when selecting which tour you wish to book with us:
      • Not every scheduled tour itinerary can accommodate SDRs.
      • Each scheduled tour description on our website includes advice about the most common SDRs.
      • If you are not sure a scheduled tour is suitable for you or one of the participants in your group, pleasecontact us to discuss this before making your booking.

1. 2. *Please provide information on SDRs for all attendees:
      • As part of the booking process for most of our tours, you will be offered a chance to provide detailed SDR information for every participant in your group.
      • Please confirm SDR information with each member of your group before making a booking.
      • We are not able to accommodate SDRs at short notice, so it is vital that accurate and detailed information is provided at the time of booking.
      • SDRs and ‘preferences’ are different, and we classify and ask about each separately where appropriate. Any information you provide when answering a question about SDRs will be handled as a genuine allergy/intolerance/ethical restriction, EVEN IF you specify it as a preference.

1. 3. We will pass all SDR information you provide to our suppliers.
   4. Any cancellations or refund requests are subject to our standard booking terms.
      • This is regardless of any SDR information you add to your booking after you have completed payment.

6) During your Tour

1. 1. Our guides:
      • are there to make your tour fun and enjoyable for all participants.
      • will not specifically highlight an ingredient unless you ask, or unless it is relevant to their commentary.
      • have not made the samples you’ll be offered and do not carry a list of ingredients, and therefore they cannot be the ultimate source of information regarding ingredients.
      • will introduce you to a member of staff at each venue, to confirm any information you need, if you ask.

1. 2. At the start of every tour, your tour guide will make a short announcement clarifying the responsibilities of tour participants regarding special dietary requirements:
      • If we already know that one or more of our suppliers are not able to provide a sample to suit your SDR, our guide will highlight this to you at the beginning of the tour.
      • This approach ensures you have the information you need to enjoy your experience with us, and that our guides can fulfil their role to make the tour enjoyable for all participants.

1. 3. If you have any SDRs, it is vital that you speak to a member of venue staff before consuming any product, AT EVERY VENUE VISITED ON YOUR TOUR.
   4. We are not able to accommodate last minute SDR requests:
      • We define ‘last minute’ as anything less than 1 week’s notice prior to your tour.

This policy has been produced to safeguard all tour participants. It also protects all our clients’ best interests by ensuring our guides can fulfil their role and deliver the best value experience for everyone.

If you wish to discuss your special dietary requirements before booking a tour, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us using the contact details shown below.