Welcome to Allergy Companions!

By Liljia Polo-Richards

Welcome to my blog and a huge welcome to Allergy Companions.

I am Liljia (pronounced Lilia, in case you were wondering), the founder of Allergy Companions and loving Mum of Francesco, my little pride and joy.

I am so pleased you have visited my website and you are here reading one of my first ever blog posts.

Like many other people affected directly or indirectly by a food allergy or coeliac disease, I have found life at times stressful and unnecessarily complicated. The idea behind Allergy Companions was born purely by chance, and simply because one day me and my family walked through the wrong restaurant and had a very upsetting experience.

Never would I have known that on the 7th of May 2021, my family and I were about to walk into the very restaurant that started this incredible adventure. Never would I have thought that a well-regarded venue would have served food covered in hazelnuts, when my boy carries epi pens and has a severe nut allergy.

Yet that day, which caused me and my husband so much upset, was the source of so much positive inspiration and drive to bring something to a community that is often marginalised and talked about only when things go wrong.

After that experience, I felt that the allergy and coeliac community were missing a place where everybody can find information that is useful to them and their family, whether it’s about finding a food brand that is allergen free or a restaurant that is happy to cater for them. There are many excellent Facebook groups and Instagram bloggers out there, many of which I follow, all doing an amazing job.

Yet, I feel that those groups and people, however precious they are, are missing a connection with the very businesses that provide those products and services to them. Often we talk about how great or not so great a restaurant is, yet they might not even know we are taking about them. So how can they know what they are doing right or wrong if we don’t talk to them? Equally, how can our community’s voice gain strength over time if we are not joining our voices together to make our opinion count?

My genuine hope is that Allergy Companions can bring the allergy community and businesses together, so we can all improve the lives of those living with food allergies, intolerances and coeliac disease. Together is better.