'Doctor's note required': Irish cafe owner takes aim at 'gluten-free fad'
An Irish cafe owner has unleashed on customers who order gluten-free food when they are not "genuinely coeliac" declaring that he will require a medical certificate before serving them.
Paul Stenson, owner of The White Moose Cafe in Dublin, uploaded three posts to the store's Facebook in the past week regarding the "fad diet" choice.
Mr Stenson came under fire last year when he provoked the ire of hundreds of vegans by referring to them as "idiosyncratic".
On Saturday, the cafe owner said customers who request a gluten-free option would be required to present a doctor’s note.
"This morning a girl asked us if we did gluten-free pancakes and when we asked her if she was a coeliac, she didn’t even know what the word meant and then proceeded to order regular, gluten-rich pancakes anyway," Mr Stenson wrote on Facebook
"From now on, guests who demand gluten-free food are required to produce a doctor’s note which states that you suffer from coeliac disease.
"Guests following a gluten-free fad, who don’t even know what gluten is, can cop the f*** on and eat regular food like everybody else."
The Dublin owner wrote two follow-up posts to clarify his stance against "fake coeliacs" as well as enforcing his other controversial rules.
"Let me assure you that it was not a joke and I am deadly serious," the post read.
"Just as serious as I was when I said I'd charge a corkage fee for breastfeeding mothers, or when I threatened to give Valium to screaming babies, or even when I promised to shoot vegans dead at point blank range."
"In case you haven't noticed, all posts on this page are deadly serious and it is imperative that you take them literally."
The second post follow-up post stated he would give away "free bandages for anyone whose feelings have been hurt over the past day or two".
"The bandages come in different sizes depending on how much of a f---ing idiot you are," Mr Stenson wrote.
The cafe’s Facebook page became swamped with thousands of negative comments from people worldwide.
Australia woman Lynette Delane told Mr Stenson he was "ignorant" and said "gluten affects a lot more people than celiacs".
"I have Hashimotos which even most doctors don't know how to treat, so I end up having to treat myself, which includes an elimination diet that shows gluten makes me feel like I've taken sleeping tablets.," she wrote.
Mr Stenson's reply to Ms Delane was that she had "misspelled the word 'coeliac' and has now "lost any ounce of credibility".
Matt Shallow also lashed out at the cafe owner and said: "My wife is a coeliac and your comments are extremely upsetting.
"You obviously do not know anything about the difficulties people with coeliac disease go through. Insisting they must carry proof of their illness is disgusting. You need to be reported to the food safety authority."
The White Moose replied: "You're upset? Hang on. My violin is around here somewhere."
Yahoo7 has contacted Mr Stenson for further comment.
