I was left in tears at Center Parcs as my 5-year-old son couldn’t eat ANYTHING
A MUM burst into tears while on a Center Parcs holiday as the company no longer caters for anyone with an allergy.
Josie Harrison's five-year-old son Bill was told there was nothing he could eat during the week-long break due to a "lazy" and "unexpected" policy change.
The 40-year-old had been looking forward to the family getaway - their first since Covid hit.
They had previously visited Whinfell Forest in the Lake District on several occasions as it "always took the stress out of eating out";.
But when they sat down for their first meal of the trip they were told little Bill, who is severely allergic to peanuts, nuts, peas and lentils, couldn't have a single meal.
Josie, from Warrington, said: "We were really excited. We've been to Center Parcs before and we've always been able to book wherever we wanted to go and just not worry about food.
"But we sat down at The Pancake House and got told they couldn't make any changes to the menu, give us an ingredients list, or make any special requests to the kitchen.
"It sounds really over dramatic but I burst into tears. It was just something we had looked forward to for so long.
Most read in The Sun
"And Bill is so sensitive to these foods, we worry about food every single day, everywhere we go, so it was so disappointing."
Josie claims the staff blamed new Covid protocols and the size of the kitchen, and told her nothing could be done to help find the youngster some grub.
"We just felt really excluded and not welcome," she said. "The message was simply 'we can't help you'."
Josie, who works in logistics, said staff used to take their order, speak to the kitchen and prepare Bill's meals separately.
His food would then come out on its own and would have a little flag indicating it was an allergy-friendly dish, so the whole family "just felt safe".
Josie, who visited the holiday village in June, said she was not notified about any policy change in advance - only reading it in the small print once she was there.
And it wasn't until October 7 that Center Parcs put out a statement saying its restaurants could no longer cater for anyone with a specific dietary requirement.
Mum-of-two Josie, who was also away with her husband and other son, eight, described this as "simply not good enough".
She added: "There will be a lot of people who think, 'just don't eat out' or 'first world problems', but Bill has to learn how to grow up and live with his allergies.
"Although it is really not easy for us, or him, to go out and have to have that kind of chat with everybody every time and a potential confrontation and rejection, what's the alternative? We lock him away and don't let him out?
"It's so important for him to navigate things himself.
'NOT GOOD ENOUGH'
"There's a thought stream that if it's going to affect you, as in that you might die, then it's alright not to help. But I think that's really lazy.
"People just need to educate themselves and take a little bit of extra time and knowledge, not put out blanket statements like Center Parcs."
In its statement, the family holiday favourite told guests it is not possible to guarantee any product is free from any of the main 15 allergens - which includes peanuts, milk and soya - and urged people to "consider carefully" before ordering.
It also said the kitchens can no longer make changes to menu items and cannot provide details of any 'may contain' ingredients.
Thankfully, the Harrisons managed to have a good holiday as they "just didn't make it about food as much" - and Center Parcs did compensate them with some free crazy golf.
But Josie has vowed never to book a holiday there again - and she's not alone.
Other parents have also said they will steer clear of the company, especially as it is now actively telling families to cancel their trips due to the change.
Jen Cheung was pushed to cancel her family trip but decided she desperately needed a break and went anyway.
It sounds really over dramatic but I burst into tears. It was just something we had looked forward to for so long.
She said: "So far it’s pretty grim. There is no place to make notes for allergies at all."
She also accused Center Parcs of taking on a "got allergies? get lost" policy.
Mum-of-three Angela Waters agreed, adding: "This is discrimination. Under Food Law I would have thought it could be challenged.
"I fully understand that restaurants have been affected by supply shortages through Covid and Brexit, but everyone should be able to provide ingredient information.
"To actively be putting families off coming to their resorts due to not being able to provide full allergen information is so very wrong."
A spokesperson for Center Parcs, which has sites across the UK, including in Nottinghamshire, Cumbria, Suffolk and Wiltshire, said: "Like many other businesses, we are currently experiencing challenges due to staff shortages, some supply chain issues and remaining Covid-19 safety measures.
"Our menus clearly highlight where allergens are present within the ingredients and whilst allergy-free menu options are still available, unfortunately, we cannot, in the current climate, provide a 100% guarantee against cross-contamination, either within our supply chain or in our restaurants or takeaway service; and for this reason we cannot provide details of any ‘may contain’ allergen statements.
"The most important thing for us is the safety and wellbeing of our guests and we feel it is important to make our guests, especially those with severe allergies, aware of the challenges we are facing ahead of their arrival.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
"Of course, our lodges do have kitchen facilities which many families already use for self-catering as another option.
"However, we understand how disappointing this situation may be to some families and we are offering anyone affected the option to cancel their break and receive a full refund or to move their break to a date in the future when we hope to have resolved these issues."
