There is a critical difference between a caterer who offers nut-free options and a caterer who operates from a dedicated nut-free kitchen. This difference is not semantic — it is the difference between procedural risk management and structural safety elimination. For colleagues with anaphylaxis-risk nut allergies, it is potentially the difference between a safe lunch and a medical emergency. Vanda's Kitchen's kitchen at Carter Lane EC4 has never had nuts in it. Not we remove nuts before preparation. Not we use separate equipment. Never had nuts. Ever. View our nut-free catering page.
How cross-contamination actually happens
Nut protein cross-contamination in a shared kitchen happens through multiple pathways that procedural controls cannot fully eliminate: airborne nut dust from opening packets or grinding; surface transfer from preparation equipment inadequately cleaned between uses; utensil transfer from shared serving implements; and staff hand contact. For colleagues with anaphylaxis-risk nut allergies — where microgram quantities of nut protein can trigger a severe reaction — these pathways represent real risk even in kitchens with rigorous nut-avoidance protocols.
The dedicated kitchen difference
A kitchen that has never had nuts in it has none of these contamination risks. There is no nut dust in the ventilation system. There are no surfaces that have ever contacted nut protein. There is no equipment history of nut contact. The structural absence of nuts from the kitchen environment eliminates the contamination pathways that procedural controls only manage. This is why Vanda's Kitchen's dedicated nut-free kitchen is a fundamentally different proposition from a nut-free option in a shared kitchen — it provides elimination rather than management.
The only City caterer with this standard
Vanda's Kitchen is the only corporate caterer in the City of London operating from a 100% dedicated nut-free kitchen while also holding independent halal certification and supplying Selfridges Food Hall. For organisations with colleagues who carry adrenaline auto-injectors for nut anaphylaxis, we are the structurally safe choice — not because of our procedures, but because of our kitchen's physical history. View our nut-free catering page. Full allergen matrix available. WhatsApp us.
Vanda's Kitchen at Carter Lane EC4V 5EA prepares fresh food daily for City of London offices. Certified halal, 100% nut-free kitchen, full allergen labelling, Selfridges Food Hall supplier. View our team lunch menu, halal catering, nut-free catering, or WhatsApp us to discuss your requirements. Corporate invoice accounts available. Delivery Monday to Friday across the City of London and wider central London.