Full English Breakfast at Henley Street Tea Rooms, Stratford-upon-Avon

You just can't beat a good old fashioned English fry-up. I love them! But this is one of the things I definitely miss now when staying in hotels and going on holiday - a full English breakfast is usually off limits to me being a Coeliac. But on a recent trip to Stratford-upon-Avon I was delighted to see that there were a few places that were offering a gluten-free breakfast.

We stumbled across the Henley Street Tea Rooms by accident really after checking out a few other tea rooms first we decided on here as it is located right opposite Shakespeare Birthplace. An ideal spot if you ask me for picking up the tourist trade.

The tea rooms have a whole gluten-free menu to choose from ranging from breakfast, sandwiches, afternoon tea and main meals. Just look at the choice!

The staff were really friendly and knowledgeable about the gluten-free diet which is always a pleasure to see.

The breakfast itself was great, really enjoyable. I was so happy it also came with gluten-free toast and marmalade. Perfect!

It would have been nice to have seen some a gluten-free sausage or 2 on the plate and maybe some baked beans (Heinz baked beans are gluten-free) but it was yummy all the same.

Edward Moon, Famous English Brasserie, Stratford-upon-Avon

I had a great weekend away in Stratford-upon-Avon a few weeks ago (apologies for the rather late blog about it). This was a weekend of visiting the sights of Shakespeare country, taking in the culture, and of course eating great gluten-free food.

Having done my research beforehand I had located a few potential places to eat out. So after a busy day of sightseeing on the Saturday we stopped off at Edward Moon - Famous English Brasseries. The brasserie is situated on Chapel Street and is just a 5 minute walk away from The Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

Coeliac-friendly options on the menu are all marked with a (c). I would estimate that about 75% of their menu is gluten-free.

My tasty chicken dinner, complete with chips, yes proper chips!

My chicken was cooked to perfection, very succulent and full of flavour, the chips on the side were a very welcome bonus and the side salad was crisp and complimented the chicken very well. I would definitely recommend Edward Moon to anyone, but especially Coeliacs. As Coeliacs we sometimes find there isn't always a big choice on a menu but this isn't the case here - you can pretty much have whatever you want from the menu. There is also gluten-free bread if you ask.

All in all an excellent gluten-free meal out, in very classy surroundings. I would love to go back!

Frankie & Benny's

I was a big fan of Frankie & Benny's before I was diagnosed as a Coeliac and so when I heard that they had started doing a gluten-free menu I was very excited.

I checked on their website first and yes it was true, their gluten-free menu is there for you to peruse before you dine. It seems like they are pretty clued up on the risks of cross-contamination for people with food allergies and they have kitchen procedures in place to help reduce the risk. Here's what they have to say about their gluten-free menu. When we got to Frankie & Benny's the waiter showed us to our table and it was clear that all the staff had had training on their gluten-free menu and the controlled procedures in the kitchen. Knowledgeable staff, yes! Obviously because the food is prepared in a kitchen that also prepares gluten-containing food it's never 100% safe but as far as they can their procedures help to significantly reduce the risk of cross-contamination.

This was the menu I was presented with.

Excellent choice and variety. 

Now I don't normally go for the full 3 courses when I eat out but this menu was just so tempting and had so many things I wanted to try so I did go for 3 courses. To start I went for the loaded potato skins with goats cheese.

For a starter this was pretty epic. 3 jacket potato skins with their insides scooped out, filled to the brim with goats cheese, with a massive pot of sour cream on the side. A very hearty portion size if I say so myself, and I like my big portions! Great value for money and very filling (excuse the pun). Absolutely delicious too.

I went for the Boston BBQ chicken for my main course - chicken breast topped with cheese and crispy bacon and smothered in yummy bbq sauce. Very tasty!

When this came out from the kitchen my eyes nearly popped out of my head. Just check out the portion size! It looked mouthwatering. The chicken comes with a jacket potato, massive side salad, and coleslaw. Yes I kind of regretted having the potato skins for a starter as this dish also comes with a jacket. It's a good job I love jacket potatoes! To be honest it was nice to not have chips actually (now I never thought I would say that!)

It was probably the best bbq sauce I have ever tasted, mouthwateringly good and full of juicy flavour with a bit of a kick to it. And you get lots of it! For me there's nothing worse than having a massive slab of meat and hardly any sauce. I think Frankie & Benny's have definitely got the balance right here. I'm ashamed to say I ate the whole lot and still ordered a dessert.

At this point I felt like I was the size of a house after everything I had eaten but I really wanted to try the banana split sundae from the dessert menu. Banana's are one of my favourite fruits and if they are on the menu somewhere I order it.

Here it is.

  Sooooooo good and yet sooooooo naughty

Now I was well and truly full, but a very happy Coeliac and already planning my next visit.