Dining with Food Allergies or Intolerances

Waiparūrū Hive

We understand dining with food allergies can be challenging, especially in a new dining environment. To better support your dining experience at our halls, our chefs and kitchen staff are committed to providing clear and accurate information, so that you can make safe and informed food choices.

Here is a step-by-step guide on what to do at your dining hall.

  • Make sure that you have registered your food allergies and/or intolerances with your university hall. If you haven’t done so, or need to make any changes, speak to your residence hall manager or administrator to get this sorted.

  • Secondary to the nature of Waiparūrū Hive with multiple stations available for meal selection, we do encourage all students to go through each station to see if there were stations or meals that are of interest and may be compliant with their dietary requirement(s).

    When you find a station or meal of interest, look for the following displays:

    1. Allergen Declaration Card

    The allergen declaration card lists menu items available at each meal service and declares what common food allergens* are present with each menu item. These are displayed at the serveries.

    To learn more about allergen declaration cards, what they look like, and what they mean for you, check out our guide here.

    2. Available Today Poster

    Look for the ‘Available Today’ poster displayed at each station. This will provide you with key information on whether the station can provide meals that are:

    • made without gluten,

    • made without dairy,

    • made with halal suitable ingredients,

    • vegetarian, or

    • vegan.

    Look for the tick symbol next to these dietaries. See an example of the poster here.

    If you are unsure of what to have, do not see your food allergen(s) on the displays, or would like to know more about the meals, please reach out to the servery and ask for either Paige, Tony or Ted! They are your dining hall dietary experts and can walk you through our process in choosing safe meals at every service.

    *The 21 common food allergens are: Peanuts, Shellfish (mollusc and crustacea), Milk, Eggs, Fish, Sesame seeds, Sulphites, Wheat, Gluten, Treenuts (Almond, Brazil, Cashew, Hazelnut, Macadamia, Pecan, Pistachio, Walnut, Pine nuts), Soy and Lupin.

  • At any meal service, approach any servery to ask for Paige, Tony or Ted. They are our team of dietary experts, there to guide you every step of the way.

    Not only will they be able to direct you to mains suitable to your dietary requirement(s), they may also create ‘made to order’ alternatives if required. Please note that for any ‘made to order’ alternatives, there will be a slight wait time. Don’t forget to scan your ID before taking your meal!

    Similarly, as the self-service stations (i.e., salad and dessert stations) are a risk of cross-contamination, students with food allergies and/or intolerances do have the option to request separately plated items. Reach out to any of our server team and ask for Paige, Tony or Ted. They can provide a separate plate from a fresh batch in the kitchen.  

TOP TIP!

If you would like to speak to someone regarding your dietary requirement(s) and discuss how we can better support your dining experience and nutrition whilst at the dining hall, you can reach out to us through your residence hall manager!

Alternatively, you can also reach us through our Ask a Dietitian or contact form.

Please note that at the halls:

  • Due to the nature of self-service stations (e.g., salad bars), there is a risk of cross-contamination.

  • Deep-fried menu items are cooked in the same oil with allergen-containing and non-plant-based foods.

  • PCU spreads are available at breakfast and lunch service, and upon request at the servery outside of these service times.

If you are unsure of what to have, or have any questions about the meals, please ask for Paige, Tony or Ted!

We are committed to providing food that meets high safety and suitability standards and we understand the importance of allergen management and awareness. We have a comprehensive allergen management plan in place and while we take every precaution to avoid cross-contamination, we cannot guarantee our dishes are 100% free from trace amounts of allergens.

It is important to note that our kitchen handles a diverse range of ingredients, including Gluten, Wheat, Milk/Dairy, Egg, Soy, Fish, Shellfish*, Tree Nuts*, Peanuts, Sesame, Sulphites, and Lupin. Products from our suppliers may also be manufactured in facilities where allergen-containing ingredients are present.

*Shellfish includes all mollusc and crustacean. Tree Nuts include, but is not limited to, common Tree Nuts like almond, Brazil nut, cashew, hazelnut, macadamia, pecan, pistachio, walnut, and pine nut.

If you would like to speak to someone regarding your dietary requirement(s) and discuss how we can better support your dining experience and nutrition whilst at the dining hall, you can reach out to us through your residence hall manager! Alternatively, you can also reach us through our Ask a Dietitian or contact form.