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Nuts: the Sun Inn at Rake - jane (28th Dec 2006 - 10:25:36) On 3 November, we went for a meal with our daughter - who is sadly very allergic to some types of nut - at the Sun Inn at Rake. Although the menu notes in a general warning at the bottom that any dish "may contain traces of nuts", there is no other indication (unlike now in many restaurants) against individual items as to whether they contain nuts as part of the recipe. As it happens, the meal my daughter chose contained cashew nuts and walnut oil - we were later told - and we ended up abandoning our meal and spending several hours in the Royal Surrey A&E with the doctors there treating her severe allergic reaction. A great night out for all of us - and a very expensive one as we paid for a meal we barely touched! I wrote to the Sun at Rake on 8 November suggesting that, to avoid the risk of this sort of thing happening again (which could very easily, with no exaggeration, be fatal in some circumstances), they might like to add a note to specific recipes on their menu where nuts are used. Two points. First, they haven't even bothered to reply. So we understand they don't give a toss about the possibility of killing their customers. Second, they appear to have done nothing to change their menus (or even to plan to do so next time they get them printed). So we understand they don't give a t**s about the possibility it will happen to someone else. The moral of this story is that if you have any possibility of an allergic reaction to any foods, avoid the Sun Inn at Rake like the plague. It may have the same effect. And the message for the Sun Inn is that a phone call (even to enquire how our daughter was) or a short letter acknowledging my concerns could have saved public complaint on liphook.co.uk. Jane

Re: Nuts: the Sun Inn at Rake - loopy lisa (28th Dec 2006 - 19:04:24) I find this a shocking story, and whilst we have been there twice, the second time to give them the benefit of the doubt, we found the food mediocre and the service uninspiring, and we will therefore not be going back.

Re: Nuts: the Sun Inn at Rake - Mike Grimes (29th Dec 2006 - 00:49:45) Jane, It strikes me that you have been somewhat careless in allowing your daughter to choose a dish that contained cashew nuts and walnut oil in a restaurant that included a general warning on it's menu. I am also confused as to how you know that they have no plans to change their menus the next time they are reprinted if they have not bothered to reply to your letter. I truly hope your daughter fully recovered and understand the dangers posed by this type of allergy but I cannot accept that when a slip up is made it is automatically the restaurant's fault unless they deliberately set out to mislead. Having said that, I do hope the Sun Inn take note and make their menu's clearer.

Re: Nuts: the Sun Inn at Rake - Freddie Dawkins (30th Dec 2006 - 14:42:20) Can anyone explain to me why, in just the past few years, more and more people appear allergic to nuts? I read "May Be Allergic to Nuts" a while ago and do wonder what's going on in our food chains.

Re: Nuts: the Sun Inn at Rake - gr (31st Dec 2006 - 12:03:40) I find this very odd , I have eaten many times at the Sun inn and found the staff very helpful and polite any questions asked where answered . Personally if I were allergic I would ask some very specific questions about the food and would not order if there was any doubt just in case. We cannot always rely on others we do have to look after ourselves a bit more and not blame everybody else when something goes wrong. That will proberely upset some but its true this blame culture is very wrong .We are adults and should look out for ourselves and our family I do however hope your daughter is now well ? and wish you all a Happy New Year With allergys I wonder is it possible to be exposed( cannot think of a better word to use )yourself to a small amount of what causes the allergy so the body can adjust to it , a bit like getting a vacination .

Re: Nuts: the Sun Inn at Rake - elle (1st Jan 2007 - 14:59:59) I agree, if the menu wasn't specific enough why didn't you ask if the meal contained nuts. I've eaten there a couple of times and enjoyed it very much.

Re: Nuts: the Sun Inn at Rake - JP (2nd Jan 2007 - 18:06:21) I am wondering, as I have one particular friend who is highly allergic to most nuts and could die if he has another reaction, why you didn't bother to ask the staff or mention to them about your daughters allergy? Surely this would be a huge concern for both of you and would be the first thing mentioned when any waiter comes to your table. I find it shocking that you blame the Sun Inn for your own lack of responsibility in this case.

Re: Nuts: the Sun Inn at Rake - jane (2nd Jan 2007 - 23:12:27) Whoa. Hang on a minute. No-one blamed the Sun at Rake for what happened. Yes, we should have checked specifically - as we usually do. What my original post said was that after what was a frightening and traumatic experience, we asked them to consider offering rather more direct advice - like many if not most other restaurants do. And they didn't even bother to reply. That's what triggered me to write to liphook.co.uk. But if it makes you feel good to make us feel bad, JP and others, don't let me stop you. And a happy new year to you too! Jane

Re: Nuts: the Sun Inn at Rake - Nut Allergy! (2nd Jan 2007 - 23:31:35) Well, I am the daughter with the nut allergy, and am disgusted that you are immediately blaming the parents for not asking! I am 19 and it was not my parents job to ask, but mine. I still believe that 'The Sun' was wrong not to reply to the sent letter, but appreciate that I am responsible for myself. (Not too sure if you've had anaphylactic shock, but it's not fun and I've certainly learned lesson!) I have just come back from travelling for 9 months, including having spent 2 months in Thailand and encountered no such 'nut' problems!! Most menus’ now a days do express explicitly that nuts are contained in specific meals and although I do accept that I should have asked I also do think it is appalling that they have not replied to the letter sent. Also, just out of interest what does 'proberly' mean - if we're talking about a blame culture, which I am obviously a part of - I blame your school for your appalling spelling! And whilst we’re on the subject of schools I was always taught by them, and my parents that it is common courtesy to reply to letters (Unlike ‘The Sun’!!!) Happy New Year!

Re: Nuts: the Sun Inn at Rake - Alex (3rd Jan 2007 - 21:18:13) Having a sister who also has a very serious allergy to nuts, i do not blame you or your parents for not asking whether or not the meal you ordered contained nuts (out of interest, what did you order?) as from experience with my sister, i doubt you would have ordered anything which would normally be made with nuts, as you probably avoid such dishes. I completely agree that the menu should state clearly which dishes contain nuts etc, when it is common knowledge that a great deal of people have allergies.

Re: Nuts: the Sun Inn at Rake - PS (3rd Jan 2007 - 22:55:35) Would you expect them to advise you not to sit outside just in case you had an allergy to bee stings? Or should they provide more advice to you if you have a milk allergy or strawberry allergy? Or should they go through a list of other products before taking your order? I think the answer is no. The majority have no issue with these products and therefore do not need to be bombarded with these questions. It is up to you to ask these questions and my experience is that they have been happy to help - we have food allergy suffers in the family as well. Why they didn't answer your letter I do not know but judging by the tone of the responses you have given to a couple of replies I wouldn't be surprised at what the reasons could be.

Re: Nuts: the Sun Inn at Rake - Jane (11th Jan 2007 - 16:13:20) There seems to be an assumption that my original letter to the Sun Inn was unreasonable. Maybe you think it was, I don't, but judge for yourselves: "Last Friday, 3 November, my husband, my daughter and I came for an evening meal and my daughter ordered Mushroom Wellington. We hadn’t realised that this dish contained cashew nuts and as you may or may not be aware, after taking a very small mouthful my daughter became very ill and had to be rushed to A & E at the Royal Surrey Hospital because she is highly allergic to nuts. Whilst I appreciate that you have a general warning advising that your meals are cooked in an environment that may contain traces of nuts and therefore no meal will be guaranteed to be nut free, I do feel that when a meal actually contains nuts a further warning should be given against that dish. Virtually everywhere you go nowadays covers themselves with a general warning but in this day and age it is rare to find a restaurant serving a dish including nuts without specific mention of this. What you may not be aware is how incredibly dangerous it is for my daughter and others like her to eat nuts. It can be fatal. We were fortunate in this instance because she only took a tiny mouthful but the allergic reaction was immediate and severe. Perhaps you would consider altering your menus to indicate when nuts are contained in the ingredients of a dish – a small N in brackets would be helpful and could save lives." I accept and have acknowledged that the fault was ours in not asking about the nuts (and it is usually the first thing we ask) but I still feel that even if they don't want to add an (n) they could include mention of nuts when describing the dish in their menu. Don't forget you can see, and hear, bees, you can't necessarily see nuts in a meal. Jane

Re: Nuts: the Sun Inn at Rake - Eneida Nelson (12th Jan 2007 - 11:57:28) Hi Jane, I think some of the posters have been rather unfair to you with their comments! Your letter sounds perfectly polite and your request for a warning against dishes that actually do contain nuts simply common sense. I believe the law should be changed on this issue....it's just not good enough to hide behind the ubiquitous sentence "may contain nuts etc" because this appears on almost everything you buy nowadays, which makes it meaningless. Eneida

Re: Nuts: the Sun Inn at Rake - Dion (13th Jan 2007 - 10:58:55) Dear Jane, I would like to take this opportunity to apologies to you for our lack of response. I did receive your letter and in the constructive tone it was written, spoke with the chefs and we have agreed to make the changes that you suggested to our new menu which will be to starting in March. The new menu will be more customer focused and allows us the ability to be more proactive in the changing and wording of dishes. Please accept my apologies. I hope your daughter never has to experience another such attack again. Please contact me directly at dion@tmp.uk.com so that I may take the opportunity to invite you back to The Sun Inn. Kind regards, Dion

Re: Nuts: the Sun Inn at Rake - Jane (26th Jan 2007 - 19:12:45) I am very grateful for the reply from Dion and delighted to hear that some changes will be made to the menu. I'm also glad that Dion felt my letter was written in a "constructive tone" since many people seem to think I was out for nothing more than to cause trouble. Thank you Dion.

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