Tastebud: The app making allergen information more accessible for all 

Jaque Taylor explores how Tastebud is making festival food safer and more accessible for people with allergies and intolerances. Read on to find out how the app is helping event organisers, vendors and festival-goers create a more inclusive food experience. 

One of the best parts of attending a festival, especially in a foodie city like Bristol, is the food. 

How can it not be? There’s nothing quite like walking through the gates and getting hit with the tantalising aroma from a sea of food trucks and stalls, all tempting you in with a dizzying variety of different cuisines. Discovering something new and enjoying food with your friends and family is a key part of the festival experience. 

However, for those with a food allergy or intolerance, this part of the festival experience can be something else entirely. Excitement is replaced by anxiety, worrying with questions like ‘Will there be somewhere I can eat?’ or ‘should I pack lunch ahead, just to be prepared?’  

Tastebud — a street food discovery and allergy management platform — are on the frontline of this battle against festival food anxiety. Their app lets its users access allergen-inclusive menus ahead of time, meaning that they can focus on having fun. No more anxiety about queueing up for a truck only to realise that there’s nothing safe to eat.  

According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), 6% of the adult population (2.4 million people) in the UK have a clinically confirmed food allergy, with 1 in 13 children in the UK living with a diagnosed food allergy. 

But food allergies don’t only affect the people living with them. When event attendees can’t find suitable food, that also negatively impacts trader sales and the overall event experience.  

As a previous product manager, Ben Coulson — Co-Founder of Tastebud — always knew he wanted to build his own business. Having grown up with a peanut allergy alongside his sister, he saw the firsthand struggles that come with eating out with an allergy and decided to do something about it. He started Tastebud alongside his partner Jess, who saw her mum with the same struggle when eating out because she has to avoid gluten. 

Right now, Ben says they’re focusing on adding value not only to event attendees (who will be able to use the app for free) but also to vendors and event organisers, too. The platform is currently available for vendors to upload their menus onto, which then shares it with its users. In turn, the platform will provide analytics to event organisers and vendors on paid tiers, helping them to plan their menus more effectively.  

Ben says they’ve also realised the importance of working directly with event organisers themselves, as they provide a wider overview of what their vendors are serving and can work towards creating an inclusive environment for their attendees. They’ve recently partnered with Bev and Sarah Milner-Simonds from eat:Festivals — a not-for-profit social enterprise that puts on local festivals — to work on five events this year.  

‘It’s been a great learning experience’, says Ben. ‘It’s been lovely to partner with them as well as Bristol Good Food. It’s nice to be in a community with projects like these to be involved in’. 

Tastebud launches in 2027 with events across Bristol and the South West, and they’re eager to involve more people. If you’re an event organiser, get in touch at info@tastebudofficial.co.uk. You can also join the waitlist to find out more, and vendors can use the app straightaway. 

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