The story epitomises all that's wrong with today's society.

This stupid woman expects a vegetarian restaurant to break its principles because "the doctor recommended my child eat protein" Where's the connection? Where's the logic? Where's a hint of concern for the other person's point of view?

Then, she tells us "We'd had a lovely day out but it was absolutely ruined all for the sake of a jar of baby food"

She really had her day "ruined" by a spat with a waitress? How would she describe a car breakdown, or the child getting sick? Never mind a real problem.

The "me" generation. One trivial, self-inflicted, frustration, and the tears run and the lawyers get phoned.

If my countrymen had been like her 60 years ago, Hitler's chums would be strutting all over Europe.

Scarlett, you're probably right that the risk of cross-contamination is slight. However, risk as perceived by a consumer isn't equivalent to risk as perceived by the producer/vendor. You as a consumer undertaking to eat in restaurants that serve shrimp isn't the same thing as you as a restauranteur proclaiming your restaurant to be 'shrimp-free.' In the first instance, you are simply deciding the risk is small; in the second instance, you are offering a guarantee.

My friend with the nut allergy likewise has to weigh the risk of buying products like candy and cookies that theoretically don't contain nuts, but which the manufacturer states "might contain nuts" because the products are produced in the same factory/assembly line as are products containing nuts. The fact that the vendors in question know the risk is small doesn't mean they can offer a guarantee. But if they did, my bet is that they wouldn't allow so much as a sealed, unopened jar of peanut butter into the factory.

I do acknowledge that I wasn't present at this incident in Wales, and who knows what the restauranteur's 'real' motives were. I only know that in theory, the restauranteur can argue their excuse as being valid.

Sorry, theo, I missed that you had brought up the smell issue earlier. I think that was probably the main problem--the smell of chicken can be pretty strong and it does linger.