Create a Digital QR Menu in the UK

Eating out in the UK runs on pubs, high-street chains, independent restaurants and a takeaway culture that shaped how people read a menu: quickly, on a phone, often before they sit down. Sunday roasts, curry houses, fish and chips and a strong brunch scene sit next to cuisines from almost every country.

That variety means menus change often. Specials boards, seasonal dishes and frequent price changes since the energy and food price rises of recent years have made reprinting expensive. A QR menu keeps one permanent code on the table while the content behind it stays current.

• Order at the bar, pay at the bar

  In pubs guests usually order and pay at the bar, so the menu is read at the table and the order is placed elsewhere. Table numbers next to the QR code help the bar match orders to tables.

• Service charge is a menu line

  Many restaurants add a discretionary service charge, often 12.5% in London. Guests expect the menu to say so plainly, and since 2024 tips and service charges have to reach staff in full.

• Pub gardens and seasonal menus

  Summer terraces, Christmas set menus and Sunday roasts change the offer several times a year. A digital menu swaps the whole set without new prints.

The Food Information Regulations 2014 apply the EU list of 14 allergens. For food sold loose, allergen information can be given verbally, but the menu or a notice has to tell guests where to get it, and staff need accurate records. Many venues now list allergens per dish to avoid mistakes when staff change.

In England, businesses with 250 or more employees must show calories (kcal) for food and soft drinks on menus, online menus included, plus the line that adults need around 2,000 kcal a day. Prices must include VAT, and any service charge should be clearly stated before the guest orders.

• London

  A menu that serves visitors from every continent and keeps pace with one of the world's busiest food cities.

  Open the city guide

• Manchester

  Match-day crowds, Northern Quarter bars and one of Europe's largest student populations.

  Open the city guide

• Birmingham

  Balti houses, a growing fine-dining scene and busy exhibition weeks at the NEC.

  Open the city guide

Is a QR menu enough for allergen rules in the UK?

It can be, as long as allergen information is accurate and easy to reach. In ListoQ you tag the 14 allergens per dish, so guests see them on the menu itself. Keep a paper copy or a staff member available for guests without a phone.

Do I need to show calories on a QR menu?

Only if your business in England has 250 or more employees. Then calories must appear on online and QR menus too. ListoQ items have a calorie field you can fill per dish.

Can ListoQ show prices in pounds?

Yes. Set the menu currency to GBP and decide where the £ symbol sits and how many decimals prices show. The guest page follows those settings everywhere.

How do pubs use a QR menu when ordering is at the bar?

The QR menu replaces the printed card at the table: guests browse dishes, allergens and prices, then order at the bar with their table number. ListoQ is a menu, not an ordering or payment system.

• IrelandAllergen information for food served loose has to be in writing, which a digital menu handles well.
• GermanyA price list at the entrance, allergen rules under the LMIV and a long calendar of seasonal menus.
• SpainLate dinners, tapas, the menú del día and one of the largest tourist flows in Europe.