Showing allergens and dietary needs on your online menu

“Can I eat this?” is a question every venue hears at the table sometimes, and for the guest asking it, it’s anything but a minor detail. Someone with a nut allergy or gluten intolerance wants to know that in advance, not once the dish is already in front of them. By showing allergens and dietary needs on your online menu, you take away that concern before the guest even walks out the door. In this article you’ll read why that pays off and how to set it up with Sitebite.

The fourteen allergens at a glance

In the EU, hospitality businesses must be able to inform guests about fourteen officially designated allergens. These include gluten, nuts, peanuts, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, soy and celery. This information has to be available, but in practice it’s often only in a folder behind the bar, or the guest has to explicitly ask for it.

By showing allergens directly next to your dishes, you make that information instantly accessible. The guest sees at a glance what’s in a dish, and you don’t have to explain it every time.

Why it belongs on your online menu

Listing allergens is more than ticking a box. It works in your favour in a few ways:

• It builds trust. A guest who sees that you handle allergens carefully feels taken seriously and is more likely to book.
• It saves time at the table. Fewer questions for your staff, less hesitation for the guest.
• It reaches a bigger group. People with an allergy or diet often specifically choose the venue where they know for sure there’s something for them.

Anyone who can already see online that they can eat safely and well with you doesn’t need to keep looking.

How it works with Sitebite

With Sitebite you attach allergens directly to a dish. When entering or updating your menu, you indicate per dish which allergens apply. On your site, these then appear as clear labels or icons next to the relevant dish.

Because it’s tied to the dish rather than a separate document, it’s always accurate. If a recipe changes, you adjust the allergen just as easily as the price. You no longer need a separate allergen overview to maintain.

Also handy for dietary needs

Alongside allergens, you can also make dietary needs visible. Think of labels for vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free. For a growing group of guests, that’s exactly what they look out for. A clear “vegan” or “gluten-free” next to a dish makes the choice much easier for them, and shows that your venue takes those needs into account.

Good for your visibility too

There’s another benefit that’s less obvious. Because dietary needs and allergens sit as clear information next to your dishes, search engines and AI assistants can pick them up too. If someone asks an assistant for a gluten-free or vegetarian restaurant nearby, you stand a better chance of being mentioned if that information is explicitly on your site. You can read how to set up your menu so it’s readable everywhere in Digitising your menu in seconds.

Frequently asked questions

Am I required to list allergens?

In the EU, you must be able to inform guests about the fourteen designated allergens. This article is not legal advice, but showing allergens online next to your dishes is a pleasant and transparent way to meet that information duty.

Can I indicate what’s in each dish separately?

Yes. You attach the allergens to the individual dish, so the guest sees exactly what applies to that dish.

Does this still work if I regularly change my recipes?

That’s exactly when it’s handy. Because the allergens are tied to the dish, you update them in a few seconds when a recipe changes, just like you would a price.

Give your guests peace of mind

Showing allergens and dietary needs takes little effort, but the difference for your guest is big. You remove doubt, save questions at the table, and show that everyone can find something with you. And because it’s simply part of your menu with Sitebite, you no longer need a separate overview to maintain.