Oral information
Allowed, as long as the information can be checked, is accurate and is given consistently. In practice this means a written record that staff can rely on.
Allergen rules for restaurants in the UK.
Restaurants, cafés and takeaways must tell customers which of the 14 allergens are in the food they serve. The law allows the information to be given in writing or orally, but since 2025 the FSA’s best-practice guidance expects written allergen information backed by a conversation with staff.
- Legal basis
- Food Information Regulations 2014 (England; equivalent rules in Wales and Northern Ireland)
- Enforced by
- Food Standards Agency (FSA)
- Written information
- Recommended
- Oral information
- Yes, if verifiable
What you need to do
- Give information on all 14 allergens used in each dish, before the customer orders.
- If the information isn’t shown on the menu, a board or an information pack, tell customers where they can get it (signposting).
- Keep the information accurate and consistent, so that every member of staff gives the same answer.
- Best practice (FSA guidance, England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2025): provide written allergen information and ask customers about their allergy needs.
QR code menus
The guidance we checked doesn’t say whether a QR code alone is enough. Written information on the premises plus a conversation is what the FSA’s best practice describes, so keep a printed version available.
Calories
In England, businesses with 250 or more employees (including franchises) must show kcal per portion on menus and labels, plus the statement “adults need around 2000 kcal a day” (Calorie Labelling (Out of Home Sector) (England) Regulations 2021). Smaller businesses may show calories voluntarily.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules change and local authorities may interpret them differently; check with your food authority. Last checked: October 2026.
With Menuvola
Written allergen information, kept in sync.
Menuvola doesn’t replace your food authority’s guidance for the UK, but it gives you the written, dish-by-dish information most rules expect, in every format.
- 14 allergens per dishIngredients, allergens and calories are required for every item; incomplete items stay in draft.
- Printed allergen sheetPrint an A4 or A3 allergen and calorie sheet from the same data for guests who can’t or don’t want to scan.
- QR menu with a noticeTable cards and the printed menu carry a notice that allergen information is available.
- Suggestions, not guessesAs you type ingredients, the panel suggests possible allergens (e.g. “butter” → milk); you confirm them.
- Four languagesMenus and printed documents in English, German, Russian and Turkish.
- kcal and kJA calorie calculator built on an ingredient database, shown per portion.
Questions you may have.
Can staff give allergen information orally in the UK?
Allowed, as long as the information can be checked, is accurate and is given consistently. In practice this means a written record that staff can rely on.
Is a QR code menu enough in the UK?
The guidance we checked doesn’t say whether a QR code alone is enough. Written information on the premises plus a conversation is what the FSA’s best practice describes, so keep a printed version available.
Do restaurants in the UK have to show calories?
In England, businesses with 250 or more employees (including franchises) must show kcal per portion on menus and labels, plus the statement “adults need around 2000 kcal a day” (Calorie Labelling (Out of Home Sector) (England) Regulations 2021). Smaller businesses may show calories voluntarily.
Try Menuvola free for 14 days.
Set up your menu, print your allergen sheet and see how it works for your business. No card needed.
