A nut-free catering policy is the clearest possible statement that your organisation takes the safety of employees with nut allergies seriously. For offices where one or more team members has a severe nut allergy — the statistically expected outcome in any workplace of meaningful size — a formal policy removes ambiguity, prevents errors, and demonstrates the duty of care that employment law requires and that genuine inclusion demands.
Why a Formal Policy Rather Than Ad Hoc Management
Many London offices manage nut allergy requirements informally — noting the allergy in the catering order, asking the caterer to be careful, hoping that the process holds. This approach fails regularly. Informal instructions are forgotten, staff change, orders are placed by different people, and the absence of a documented standard means there is no baseline to enforce or audit.
A formal nut-free catering policy creates a documented standard that applies regardless of who places the order, who the caterer is, and who the employee with the allergy is. It is also the correct risk management response for employers with a documented duty of care to employees with serious allergies.
Step 1: Establish the Scope
Define what the policy covers. At minimum: all catering ordered for or delivered to the office, including individual desk lunches, meeting room catering, event catering, and any food provided by the employer at external venues. Some organisations extend the scope to food brought in by employees for shared consumption (birthday cakes, team snacks) — this is a personal choice but worth considering if the allergy is severe.
Step 2: Select a Compliant Caterer
The policy is only as strong as the caterer implementing it. A nut-free policy is not satisfied by asking a standard caterer to "leave out nuts." It requires a caterer whose kitchen is genuinely nut-free — where no nut products are handled, stored, or prepared, eliminating cross-contamination at source.
Vanda's Kitchen operates a 100% nut-free kitchen as a permanent standard. No peanuts or tree nuts enter our facility under any circumstances. This is not a menu option or a special request — it is a kitchen standard that applies to every item we produce. For offices implementing a nut-free catering policy, Vanda's Kitchen is the straightforward solution: one supplier relationship that covers the policy requirement without ongoing management overhead. Read our complete nut-free catering London guide.
Step 3: Document the Policy
The policy document itself should cover: the scope of the policy; the rationale (duty of care to employees with nut allergies); the requirement that all catering be sourced from a kitchen with documented nut-free standards; the process for verifying caterer compliance; and the escalation process if nut-containing food is brought onto the premises outside the policy scope.
Keep the policy simple and practical. A one-page document that everyone can read and understand is more effective than a comprehensive policy that sits unread. Store it in your office management documentation and include it in onboarding materials.
Step 4: Communicate With the Team
Announce the policy clearly to all staff. The communication should: explain what the policy is and why it exists (not as a restriction but as a safety measure); confirm that all office-provided catering will now come from a nut-free kitchen; and provide a point of contact for questions. For the employee or employees with nut allergies who prompted the policy, this communication is a meaningful signal that their safety is taken seriously.
Step 5: Review Annually
Review the policy annually: confirm that your caterer still meets the nut-free standard, update the documentation if any scope changes are needed, and re-communicate to new starters as part of onboarding.
Documentation for Procurement
Vanda's Kitchen can provide the documentation that corporate procurement processes require to verify nut-free standards: our kitchen policy statement, our 5-star food hygiene certificate, our Natasha's Law compliance confirmation, and our allergen management protocol. Contact us for a documentation pack, WhatsApp us to discuss your policy requirements, or read our employer's guide to food allergies in the workplace.
Why Choose Vanda Kitchen for Your London Office
Vanda Kitchen brings together the credentials that London most demanding corporate clients require: certified halal (verified by the Halal Friendly List), 100% nut-free kitchen, 5-star food hygiene rating, and Selfridges Food Hall quality. Freshly prepared daily from our EC4 kitchen near St Paul Cathedral. One caterer, all requirements covered. WhatsApp us, send an enquiry, or view our team lunch options. Read our complete corporate catering London guide.