Charlie’s interest in allergen management goes above and beyond. As a fully qualified chef with over 30 years experience in the retail and hospitality sectors, being coeliac for over 20 years and being able to serve customers with the most complex allergies, has set her on a path to encourage inclusivity. Why concentrate on the allergy side of things? Well, apart from being coeliac, Charlie has rather a lot of allergies and intolerances, some are life threatening and this is where her passion comes from. Not fun for a chef eh? Well, no but it gives her a first-hand insight into how frightening eating out can be. As she always says, "I get it. Eating out should be one of the joys of life and as my heritage is Irish and French, food is the way we communicate, show our love and nurture that feeling of family but with my allergies, it can be a minefield."     

Charlie's main objective is  to work with businesses to take the fear out of allergy management - on both sides of the pass - and demonstrate how it can be commercially viable through inclusivity of people with allergies, intolerances or dietary preferences by integration into the daily routines within any aspect of food service, catering and hospitality business. Helping  you stand out against your competition.

      

In 2016, Charlie was diagnosed with Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD) which is an uncommon systemic inflammatory rheumatic condition. MCTD is a specific subset of the broader category of rheumatic “overlap syndromes”, a term used to describe when a patient has features of more than one classic inflammatory rheumatic disease. These classic rheumatic diseases include systemic lupus erythematosus, polymyositis, scleroderma and rheumatoid arthritis. It is a systemic autoimmune disease. This means the body's natural immune system does not behave normally. Instead of serving to fight infections such as bacteria and viruses, the body's own immune system attacks itself.  

I think it's fair to say that Charlie has more than her fair share of auto-immune conditions - (APS) Antiphospholipid Syndrome https://aps-support.org.uk/ ; (EDS) Ehlers Danlos Syndrome https://www.ehlers-danlos.org/ but she doesn't let it  slow her down. "If I'm having a particularly bad day, I use a walking stick;  my knees are always taped up anyway, usually with the brightest kinesiology tape I can find and even though I am allergic to the glue...I'm not ready for knee braces yet!"

I'm sure that there will be more than one or two people who are reading this that didn't know about Charlie's conditions and have never seen her with mobility aids. "I'm not hiding my disability, I'm still adjusting to it. Sometimes I have to take some hefty pain relief - which was not fun trying to find one that:  A) Worked and:  B) Didn't land me in A&E. I also wear a soft back brace occasionally to stop the grinding in my spine but I can't drive if I wear it so...I know! Stubborn is my first, middle and last name." 

Charlie’s skills won her business 2 highly prestigious Free From Food Awards in 2018 a Nourish Award, notably one of the hardest awards to achieve; a Customer Service Award from Cheshire East and Best Allergen Friendly Celebration Cake Supplier in Cheshire. Any award is humbling but when it is voted for by your customers, well then that is the cherry on top!

The Coeliac Chef can undertake an internal allergen audit of your business and its processes in a friendly, honest and impartial approach. She will identify and provide an in-depth review of your current procedures and provide practical training and verify that you are operating in accordance with your own procedures, HACCP and legal requirements. You or a representative can shadow audit with her so that she can share her knowledge directly with you. Internal audits of your business can improve your food safety practices and prepare you for external audits. 

A message from Charlie: "I am not an EHO, I am a practical coach with relevant experience. Here to help you expand your customer base through inclusivity. It is my goal for anyone with food allergies, intolerances or dietary preferences, to eat safe and tasty food".