Re: What to do at work lunches?
If you refuse to go to ALL lunches, even ones for people’sbday, farewell etc. period, then eventually you will get a reputation for being anti-social. I think it’s fine for youto say that you do not eat in places that serve any pork products due to therisk of cross-contamination. But in order to appear friendly/social, I think you should take it a step further.
You should let them know that if they go to a restaurant that does not serve pork, such as Indian/Pakistani/Persian etc. restaurants, then you would be more than happy to join them. During conversations, mention names of local places that you do like and ask if they’ve tried them (and if they say “no”,let them know how great the food is etc.). This way, the ball is in THEIR court on whether they are willing to go to a place that can accommodate you.