The Dietary Questions Event Planners Actually Ask Us
If you plan events for a living, you already know the drill. Somebody on the guest list has a requirement, it reaches you late, and you have to get a real answer out of a vendor who would rather say it is probably fine.
We would rather give you the real answer, including the parts where the answer is ask us. Here is where we stand.
The lemonade itself is simple
Our base is lemons, water and sweetener, squeezed at your event. There is not much to it and that is the point. On the made to order packages that base is the whole drink unless you add a flavor.
If you have a guest with a complicated set of restrictions, plain fresh squeezed lemonade is usually the easiest thing on the entire menu for them to say yes to. That is worth knowing when you are building a plan, because it means we can almost always serve everyone something.
Gluten
Gluten free, per manufacturer labeling, across the range we pour.
We say per manufacturer labeling deliberately rather than as a hedge. It is what the labels state, and it is the honest limit of what any caterer can tell you about a product they did not manufacture. If a guest needs certainty rather than labeling, we can show you the actual bottle.
Coconut, and why pina colada is the exception
Pina colada contains coconut. Treat it as a coconut and tree nut allergen and plan around it.
This one matters because pina colada is one of our more popular flavors and it gets picked for evening events specifically. If you have a tree nut allergy on your guest list and pina colada is on your menu, the two need to be reconciled before your event rather than at it. Usually that just means a clearly labeled sign, and sometimes it means picking a different third flavor.
We will raise this ourselves when you choose flavors. You should not have to catch it.
Sulfites
Some of the flavor products contain sulfites, including sodium metabisulfite.
Sulfites are not on the standard major allergen list, which is exactly why they get missed. For most guests they are irrelevant. For a guest with a sulfite sensitivity they are the whole conversation, and that guest is usually used to being told there is no problem by people who did not check.
If sulfites are on your list, tell us and we will tell you which flavors are clear. The plain lemonade base is the reliable answer.
Artificial colors
Several of the flavors carry added color, and some carry Yellow 5, Yellow 6 or Red 40.
This comes up more than it used to, usually for children's events and for guests who avoid specific dyes. It is a fair question and we can answer it flavor by flavor. It is also a reason we would not describe any of our flavor colors as natural, because that would not be true.
What we will not tell you
We will not call the flavor range allergen friendly. That phrase covers real differences between products and it is how somebody gets hurt.
We also will not promise a formula never changes. Manufacturers reformulate, batches vary by market, and a caterer who guarantees otherwise is guessing. What we can do is show you the label on the product we are actually pouring at your event, which is the only thing that is genuinely current.
The line we give guests
If you want something short for a menu card or a sign, this is what we use.
Gluten free. Pina Colada contains coconut. Some flavors contain sulfites, ask for the label.
That is accurate, it fits on a card, and it tells a guest with a real restriction what to do next.
Ask us early
The best time to raise dietary requirements is when we are building your flavor menu, not the week of. It costs nothing to plan around at that stage and it is awkward to fix later.
Send your event details and any restrictions through the proposal form. We cater weddings and corporate events across Dallas Fort Worth, and we would rather have this conversation with you now than have one of your guests have it at the stand.
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