For years, chefs and restaurateurs gave little or no thought to catering to customers who have celiac disease or gluten-related disorders. Many, in fact, would have to admit they didn't know exactly what that even entailed.
But no longer. The decision to offer gluten-free alternatives on menus has taken on a growing importance as societal concerns about health and wellness continue to gain traction.
Foodservice professionals have come to recognize those directional shifts, too. In its annual What's Hot culinary forecast — which polled nearly 1,300 chefs — the National Restaurant Association found that interest in offering gluten-free menu items ranked No. 5 among the Top 20 Trends of 2014. “Today's consumers are more interested than ever in what they eat and where their food comes from, and that is reflected in our menu trends research,” wrote Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of the NRA's research and knowledge group.
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