Tell us about you!
Where did you study abroad?
London, England
How did you choose your study abroad location?
Did you plan anything ahead of time?
To prepare, I got an Equal Eats allergy card for each language that I thought I may encounter with the countries I visited with my allergies on each one. I also did some research about common places my allergens hide with food in other countries.
What are your best tips for studying abroad with food allergies?
London is very accommodating with food allergies. Everywhere I went, most places had signs for allergies, and all of the staff at each place were very knowledgeable. It is also good to note that in London, almost every place has an online allergy guide with major allergens or ingredients, which is super helpful!
Did you have any concerns about traveling with food allergies?
I did have concerns about traveling abroad with food allergies, not specifically in England, but when I traveled to other countries. To overcome these fears, I did do some research beforehand. I used a lot of the guides Spokin had, specifically for London to see other peoples experiences.
What airline did you fly? How did you handle accommodations and airplane food?
I flew Virgin Atlantic. I did not eat the plane food, and brought a lot of snacks to enjoy while on board. I had Chomps, RxBars and GoMacro Bars.
Where did you live and how were meals handled?
I stayed in a flat, with a few roommates, and I made sure no one had anything in the kitchen that contained my allergens. We ordered from HelloFresh weekly and made our own meals.
What are your favorite places to eat in London?
Din Tai Fung: This place was amazing food and service wise! Before we ordered anything, the waitress asked if there were any allergies and was very knowledgeable about everything. Thankfully, none of my allergies were in anything here, so I was free to get anything I wanted. Everything tasted amazing! I will be coming back here.
Noxy Brothers: Recently discovered this place and I love it! I’ve only had the bagels and coffee but super yum and limited nuts!
Is there any food your study abroad location is known for that you were able to have safely?
Hobson’s Fish & Chips: This was the first place I had fish and chips in London! Easy menu, no nuts, super yummy!
What other places did you visit during your trip?
I traveled to Bath, England, Paris, France, Ibiza, Spain, Barcelona, Spain, Venice, Italy, Rome, Italy, Brighton, England, Dublin, Ireland, and Amsterdam, Netherlands. In Dublin my favorite spot was BoBo’s Burgers. In Rome my favorite was Klass Restaurant, and in Venice my favorite was Muro Fari.
What were your favorite sweet treats you found while abroad?
Udderlicious (London): This place was great with allergies! They had labels for all of the allergens in multiple places in the shop and they were very accommodating offering to get me a fresh scoop from a clean container from the back! Definitely will come back here. Some of the yummiest ice cream I’ve had!
Limon’è (Rome): This place has all lemon-flavored gelato 100% nut-free! I ended up coming here twice because it was so nice to be worry-free with gelato! The lemon cheesecake was my favorite!
Gelateria Gallonetto (Venice) : Found this place through Spokin and they were great here. I showed them my allergy card and I was told which flavors were safe for me and they used a fresh scoop from a new container.
