The origin story
Living with food allergies isn’t just my reality; it’s something my whole family has lived with.
Every breakfast, lunch, dinner, drink or snack means asking questions, double-checking ingredients, and hoping nothing slips through the cracks.
As a kid, my family handled most of it for me — calling ahead, packing safe alternatives, making sure I had allergen-free cake at birthday parties! But when I got older, it became my responsibility, and that’s when I started realising just how complicated it really was.
I learned how to scan menus for red flags, how to ask questions that got real answers, how to tell when a server genuinely knew what they were saying — or just guessing.
It was frustrating, exhausting, and unfair. Sometimes, no matter how hard I tried, I had no choice but to sit and watch everyone else eat.
Then I spent five years on the other side of the table, working as a server and bartender. And from that side of the table, it looked completely different.
Staff genuinely want to help. But often the information just isn't there when they need it. I'd spent years frustrated by the server who didn't know the answer. When I became that server, I understood why.
Alex (4)
Founder of Edible
The food fight
Every person with a food allergy, intolerance or dietary need has their own version of this same struggle.
Online menus rarely tell the full story. And allergen lists, if they even exist, are often hiding in the cupboard and formatted as a pile of spreadsheets or cryptic symbols.
Every meal out is a test of deciphering and determining whether I can trust what I'm told. The hardest part is that most restaurants can only deliver this complex information through conversations.
There are too many chances for things to go wrong: changes to ingredients that arrived that morning, how busy the staff are, misunderstanding when customers explain their needs, and how that information is relayed to the kitchen — then back again. Like a game of whispers, key details almost always get lost in translation.
Dining out with food allergies shouldn’t be a gamble.
But right now, it is.
Alex (28)
A new standard
Clear and accessible food information should be the standard — not an afterthought.
For restaurants, creating these menus should be straightforward. Our menu builder helps food-service teams present it in a way that’s clear to customers and staff, while easy to update at a moment's notice.
For food-sensitive customers, eating out should be as simple as it is for everyone else. Our menu filter helps people make informed decisions, before heading out.
That means happy customers, fewer misunderstandings, and a dining experience that works better for everyone.
This isn’t just about convenience — it’s about safety, trust, and making eating out accessible to all.
Our team
Alex
·
Founder, Chief Executive
Glasgow, Scotland
With 28 food allergies (and counting), Alex has a deeply personal understanding of the challenges customers face and an unwavering motivation to solve these problems. He has been on both sides of the allergen question — the diner who has to ask it, and the staff member who has to answer it. With a background in digital design, visual communication and user experience, Alex leads business operations at Edible, with a focus on design and brand awareness.
Chris
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Co-founder, Chief Developer
Lisbon, Portugal
Chris is the technical hand bringing Edible to life. He came to software development the long way around, after a neuroscience degree, long stints in hospitality and a brief interlude as a bookkeeper. He's curious, autodidactic and generally pretty good at many things. He is also Alex's older brother and sees Edible as a chance to build that relationship as much as it is a chance to build a product with a positive impact.
Paul
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Co-founder, Business Developer
Soalheira, Portugal
Paul has over two decades of experience passionately leading life sciences discovery, innovation, and commercialisation. For Edible, his passion transcends professional lines to that of a proud father, inspired by his sons' creative leadership and teamwork in addressing the unmet needs of food-sensitive people and their families. Paul leads business development and networking opportunities.
Silvio
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Tech Mentor
Berlin, Germany
Silvio is a long-time computer enthusiast, starting with a Macintosh Plus in the 80s, long before the world wide web as we know it. A strong believer in free (as in speech) software, he’s been using GNU/Linux since the early days of Slackware. With a career spent building for the web, he brings deep technical expertise and a passion for open technology to Edible, advising the team's approach to product development.