As part of Coeliac Awareness Week in May, Coeliac NZ launched the pilot for a new, accredited ‘Dining Out Programme’. This meant that the 65,000 Kiwis who suffer from coeliac disease would soon be able to enjoy a more inclusive social life and eat out safely.
Hell Pizza was one of the first and only QSR to sign up to the pilot program. When it came to signing up for the programme, general manager Ben Cumming said it was a no-brainer for Hell.
“We’ve been making pizza for 20 years, and we’ve always focussed on catering for customers with special dietary requirements, so joining the Dining Out programme is another way to ensure that our pizzas are the best damned pizzas in this life or the next – for absolutely everyone,” said Cumming.
Hell Pizza has 69 stores in New Zealand and around five percent of pizzas sold are gluten-free.
General manager of Coeliac New Zealand Carl Sunderland said that restaurants and cafes that sign up to the programme would be able to provide an extra assurance that the gluten-free options on the menu really are gluten-free.
“My Food Bag has also come on board and we’re hoping to have another 20-30 signed up by Christmas,” said Sunderland.
