Last updated November 2026

Do UK restaurants need written allergen information?

Short answer: the law says you must provide allergen information. It does not yet say it has to be in writing. The Food Standards Agency says writing it down is best practice, and has said it would like that to become law.

What the law requires today

If you serve food that is not prepacked, you must be able to tell customers which of the 14 allergens are in each dish. You can give that information in writing, or verbally. If you rely on staff telling people, you need a clear sign asking customers to speak to the team about allergens, and the information they give must be accurate and consistent.

What the FSA's best practice guidance says

In March 2025 the Food Standards Agency published best practice guidance for businesses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that sell non-prepacked food. Its two main points are simple:

• Allergen information should always be available in writing, for example on the menu, on a matrix, or on a page customers can read.
• That written information should be backed up by a conversation, so staff ask about allergies and customers are encouraged to say.

The guidance is not law. It is what the regulator considers a well run food business looks like.

Where Owen's Law stands

Owen's Law is a campaign started by the family of Owen Carey, who died in 2017 after eating a restaurant meal that contained an allergen he had told staff about. It calls for written allergen information to be required at the point of ordering. In December 2023 the FSA Board said it wanted written information to be mandatory. Ministers have not changed the law, and the question of whether to legislate or rely on guidance and training is still being worked through. Food Standards Scotland ran its own consultation on written allergen and ingredient information in 2026.

Nobody can tell you for certain when or whether the law will change. What is clear is the direction: regulators expect allergen information to be written down.

What a sensible venue does now

1. Write a matrix covering every dish and all 14 allergens.
2. Make it easy for guests to see, not just staff.
3. Check it whenever a recipe or supplier changes, and record the date.
4. Keep asking every table about allergies. Written information supports the conversation. It does not replace it.

This page is a plain English summary, not legal advice. The official guidance is on the Food Standards Agency website at food.gov.uk. If you are unsure how the rules apply to you, your local authority's environmental health team will tell you.