End of corkage?

super_furry

This is a new one of me and I was wondering if anyone else heard anything on it? We were speaking to the people at the Lodge at Ashford Castle about possibly having a wedding there and the women we were speaking to said they no longer allow wedding parties to provide their own wine and prossecco because of 'a new EU regulation on allergens in food and drink.' Basically she was saying that because of a new rule/law which was introduced in December that they would have to send away any wine that we would provide for allergen testing and as a result they are now only in a position to allow wine that they provide. Unsurprisingly, at steep prices.

Is this a genuine thing now or just a negotiating tactic?

wonski

Surely allergens (if any) must be printed on the label.

Can't see any relevance here tbh. I do not run a food business so can't say I am 100% right, though.

Milly33

Jes there is always something new... I haven't heard of anything but then it doesn't surprise me

wonski

I wonder if they sent samples of every single drink they sell for this tests?

I know about the changes in labelling of food but wouldn't expect the same strict rules with wine tbh.

Milly33

Good point maybe you should bring this up with them and then ask to see the tests they have carried out on their own wine..

Harika

There is a new food regulation from the EU: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/health_consumer/dgs_consultations/food/docs/consult_20150104_allergy-intolerance_guidance.pdf
https://www.fsai.ie/legislation/food_legislation/food_information_fic/allergens.html#Allergens_and_Wine_

But basically wine after 2005 should already be labelled after this regulations. Wines before 2005 are exempt. Checked this with some bottles here and allergens are flagged on it, so the hotel just need to treat them like they would with their own wine. No food testing required. If they wanna negotiate or simply have no clue, hard to say.

hoodwinked

just a question i thought of as i read this, if this is the case does that mean you cannot bring your own wedding cake too? or sweet table?

will all wedding cakes have to be made in house now also?

to be honest it sounds like a poor excuse.

wonski

hoodwinked wrote: »

just a question i thought of as i read this, if this is the case does that mean you cannot bring your own wedding cake too? or sweet table?

will all wedding cakes have to be made in house now also?

to be honest it sounds like a poor excuse.

That is an interesting one.

It is up to the establishment you bought your cake from to provide allergen information. Nothing to do with wedding venue.

Unless they sell it there;)

racersedge

It is in fact new legislation. Work in a creche and this came into effect in.. early December if I recall. I'm fuzzy on the date. Basically for us, we have to display visually a list of all foods that are used for any allergens that they may contain. This, despite in our case, having an exact list of any dietary requirements for those in our care.

This involved going around and looking at all the packaging and making a detailed list. This list would then be updated if anything different from the usual stock was used. Even for anyone to bring in outside foodstuff (such as for a child's party, end of week treats etc), there needs to be a note displayed for parents regarding anything contained that is an allergen.

So I would imagine hotels and other business that involve food are in the same boat. I'm assuming that some are erring on the side of caution that if food (or in this case, wine) is brought in and somebody doesn't display for all to see what allergens are contained, they would be seen as been in the wrong with it.

But can definitely see where hoodwinked is coming from. Why does this effect wines and not something as important as the cake? It could just be an easy excuse for people to be moved onto the hotel wine.

Given that I'm due to get hitched next year, I must actually bring this up when meeting with the hotel in a few weeks to see what their story on it is.

worded

If you are having a banana cake, do the bananas used have to be EU regution bendyness?

I recall hearing there was an eu reg about banana conformity

wonski

worded wrote: »

If you are having a banana cake, do the bananas used have to be EU regution bendyness?

I recall hearing there was an eu reg about banana conformity

There is a lot of regulations that we are not aware of.

Varieties / size / class / origin etc.. Some are important, some are just a pain for producer, distributors and retailers.

When it come to allergens, the EU is treating customers allergic to food as idiots. As a result producers go an extra mile and write "contain eggs" on eggs

Obviously egg producers are not required to write it on the packaging, but they do the same way as cheese producers write "contain milk" on their products. I would be more worried if this product didn't contain milk:D

Another example is "may contain" which is not required, but producers are so scared of penalties and lawsuits that write it on most of the products and, as a result, people who are allergic to ingredients that "may be" in the product have a very limited choice of what to eat.

World gone mad. And it is us, final customers, who pays for it at the end.

Lifes are saved on regular basis by informing people that nut salad they are about to buy contain nuts:D

lazygal

I know of several venues, our one included when we married, that don't allow home made wedding cakes to be served. It stands to reason that they don't want to be responsible for storing and serving something they can't stand over. Wine though I don't understand. Isn't it always well sealed and labelled?

Senna

The hotel here are sticking to the letter of the law and what they say is correct.
If someone got sick last week and the hotel is approached, they have to be able to provide the ingredients of the wine that was served on a particular day.
If it's on the wine list, then they can do this list once and refer to it when asked. If different wines are be using, then they must list those too.

Regarding cakes, it has been that way for years. If someone gets sick from wedding cake brought in by the bride and groom, the hotel is responsible, not who made it.

Having said all that, the hotel I work in will not be going to these extremes, however if you see how we are scrutinised by environmental health then I can see why some hotels would cave to this "jobs worth" bull crap just to have nothing for them to complain about.

Flippyfloppy

Look at their wine list, find the wine they sell wholesale and bring that for corkage. Simples?!?