Kettleman's anti-GF rant [General]

2014 Apr 28
I don't know how many of you heard about this, so here is a pretty good re-hashing of what happened.

apt613.ca

2014 Apr 28
I was just going to post it in the other thread about allergies since it references that same post.

Forum - Food Allergies

2014 Apr 28
I had a bunch of issues with this too. The kettleman's guy said "If you can drink most vodkas you can eat a bagel!” in their apology. The ignorance continues to shine, as distilled beverages do not contain gluten, where as fermented grain based beverages do (such as beer). Half hearted apologies and ignorant statements do not make for good press. Fad or not, if you are going to rant about something, the ranter should get their facts straight.

2014 Apr 28
@sourdough

A quick google search on the topic reveals that there is a debate whether vodka made from gluten grain sources is actually gluten-free. The distillation process doesn't always remove enough gluten and people highly sensitive to it can become ill. The Celiac support association recommends avoiding vodka made from wheat grains.

Perhaps Kettleman's could have used a better example than vodka, but I wouldn't call it entirely ignorant per se.

2014 Apr 28
The reposting was a bad call. Challenging people's health issues, real, fake, whatever, on the internet, never ends well.


2014 Apr 28
Yep, ranting against some subset of one's customer base on the internet is just bad business. This is directly related to the increasing tension between some suppliers and some consumers of food that I mentioned in Forum - Foodie exploitation vs festivals and chef celebrities.

Tips for restaurant owners: stay cool, don't rant, don't dis your customers or the faceless people who dis you on Urbanspoon. (Yes, the anonymous reviewers are cowardly morons, but I'm allowed to say that because I don't run a business.) Always aim for the high road of measured response. Watch how the pros do it. Be more like Mr Beckta. :-)

2014 Apr 28
Stella, all the scientific studies show there is no way for gluten to show up in distilled liquids - unless there is cross contamination, which for most distilleries is highly unlikely. There are some groups that claim they have gotten sick after having vodka, but there is no direct scientific linkage. There is also further debate because of new FDA rules regarding the labeling of gluten free products, and the use of Gluten free as marketing fodder, as well as lack of compliance testing for other alcohol such as gluten free beer.

2014 Apr 28
I should also add there is a high percentage of people who have gotten ill from vodka and tequilla, and other hard liquor that have no gluten sensitivities. Many aged 16 - 24 :)

2014 Apr 28
"Mend it like Beckta" - he sets a high bar for customer satisfaction that benefits the customer as well as the business. I think that's good business and good for all customers including those who have no complaints.