Gluten-free at Fairways Garden Centre, Ashbourne

You know you are a homeowner when you spend Bank Holiday at a garden centre!

So this is my life now, I own a home. And this is one of the reasons why this blog has been so quiet lately, my apologies.

Fairways Garden Centre is located at Clifton in Ashbourne, roughly 16 miles out of Leek (they also have a centre in Macclesfield).

The garden centre itself is lovely but what I was more interested in was whether they had any gluten-free options in their cafe/restaurant upstairs. Gardening is hungry work after all.

The restaurant upstairs is huge by the way.

More and more smaller, independent cafes are becoming more aware of dietary requirements and a lot now do have gluten-free options on their menu. Fairways is probably one of the more clued up places I have visited recently. And here's why.

I was so pleased to see that their menu tells you exactly what gluten-free options they have - and there's not just one or two choices...they are 5 different options for lunch!

The garden centre's selection of cakes and pastries is pretty extensive but they have not forgotten us Coeliacs either - there was gluten-free flapjack or fruit toast on offer. They clearly know what they are doing when it comes to preventing cross-contamination too as the gluten-free items were all individually wrapped to protect them from any gluten crumbs (all the gluten-containing cakes were on big plates where you just helped yourself).

I was also really impressed to see that all the food was clearly labelled and indicated what allergens were present in each one - so for example, the ticket would read "contains wheat, gluten, egg" etc. So helpful! And is probably a result of the new law that came in in December 2014 which means that now all food businesses must provide allergen information for the meals they serve.

If you don't fancy a hearty meal like cottage pie or a roast pork dinner, there are lighter options on the menu suitable for Coeliacs, like the soup, It was great to see there were two soup options. And there's also gluten-free bread if you ask one of the servers behind the counter.

OK, so it wasn't a bread roll, but still I was able to have gluten-free bread with my soup (for me, there's nothing worse than having soup with no bread, you need something to dip in!). In a lot of places there isn't always an option to have gluten-free bread with your soup so Fairways definitely gets the thumbs up from me.

I think it was probably Genius bread (is it sad that I can tell what brand of bread it was?) and tasted great with a bit of butter and dipped in to my carrot and coriander soup.

The soup itself was really tasty, creamy and filling - it really was a massive portion! All the food is homemade, prepared from fresh ingredients on site and they use locally-sourced ingredients too. I have to say I was really impressed, not just with the quality of food, but also their knowledge of dietary requirements and availability of gluten-free options, I would definitely eat here again.

Gluten-free pot noodles from Kabuto Noodles

I don't know about you but there are certain foods I have craved since being diagnosed Coeliac. For me, it's a pot noodle. (Oh, and croissants).

I don't know why, because I never really ate them when I actually could but ever since diagnosis I've wanted one. I'm always mega jealous whenever one of my colleagues at work brings one in for lunch. We always want what we can't have, right?

Right.

As far as I know there aren't many gluten-free pot noodles on the market. In fact I know of only one,  Kabuto Noodles. But have I ever been able to find any up until now?  No way! 

Well my luck was in yesterday when I did our weekly food shop,  I found these Kabuto Noodles in Sainsburys for just £1.50 each.  They are normally £2 which I think is a bit steep perhaps. I'm not going to grumble at £1.50 though.

What can I say?  I loved them!  They made a great lunch option to eat at my desk at work,  warm &  hearty,  with plenty of Japanese flavours like ginger & spring onions coming through.  I think it would be nice to eventually see a couple more flavours - at the moment the gluten-free flavours are chicken or miso (there are a variety of none gluten-free ones). But it's still a big step forward in to the world of gluten-free convenience noodles for which I applaud Kabuto Noodles.

So simple and yet so tasty! For a fraction of the cost you would pay if you were to buy something similar in a noodle bar you are getting a delicious noodle dish in the convenience of a pot noodle-style tub, you simply just add boiling water, wait 2-3 minutes and what you get is a very authentic tasting (and smelling) Asian noodle dish, just like what you may be served in a restaurant or noodle bar.

I am definitely keeping a few of these pots in my desk drawer at work, they're just so convenient and perfect for a quick lunch at my desk. They taste amazing and healthy too -  a real winter warmer that just makes you feel good. Thanks Kabuto!

Newburn Bakehouse launch two brand new and improved products

This week the lovely people at Newburn Bakehouse launched two brand new products and I was one of the lucky bloggers who got to try them first.

Introducing the new Farmhouse loaf and soft round rolls. The loaves come either white, brown or seeded and the rolls white or seeded. The Farmhouse loaves will replace their existing loaves and the soft round rolls will replace the sub rolls.

I have to admit I was really impressed with both new products. In my short time as a Coeliac I have found that many gluten-free bread products lack that freshness - the smell, taste and texture of a freshly baked loaf from a proper bakery - the Farmhouse loaf and soft rolls are unique in that they actually do feel like they may have just come out of the oven. I think they're brilliant!

The rolls come in a pack of 4 and they are a pretty decent size. I think they'd make awesome burger buns! I tried the soft white rolls just as a sandwich for lunch at work, 1 roll with cheese and salad was enough for me as a lunch. The rolls are topped with a generous dusting of flour which contributes to that freshly baked feeling you get when you bite in to one. I loved how soft and squishy the rolls were, I think anyone would be hard pushed to tell the difference between this and a 'normal' bread roll.

The Farmhouse loaf looks exactly how a farmhouse loaf should with the farmhouse cuts across the top and again the bread is lovely and soft and fresh. I especially liked the full sized slices - no more tiddly half size slices as you can find with some gluten-free loaves. Again the loaf just looks like any normal loaf of bread you'd find in any bakery aisle of supermarkets.

I found the loaf is great for sandwiches and toast.

Newburn Bakehouse have been working for a long time to improve their freshly baked range and I think you can really tell the difference. You may also like to know that all their fresh bakery products are certified dairy free too.

Where can you buy?

Now -  Selected Sainsburys and Asda stores
From 13th October 2014 - Selected Morrisons, Waitrose and Tesco stores

With a RRP of £2.99 for a loaf and £2.40 for a pack of 4 rolls I think these are definitely value for money. This range of fresh bakery products are by far the closest you'll get to 'real' bread and I love it!

Tea 42, Manchester

My apologies for the lack of blogging this past month or so. Things have been a little crazy recently as we are in the process of buying a house and my husband is just about to start his teaching career after a year of intensive training (exciting times ahead!). However, I just have to tell you about this amazing new gluten-free restaurant, Tea 42, I have just discovered.

I finally made it to Tea 42 in Manchester on Monday after my husband's graduation ceremony (his third graduation no less). I'd heard lots of good things about this modern restaurant from my Twitter friends, so I was dying to go and check it out for myself and what better way to celebrate a happy occasion than with some great gluten-free food!

This is probably the best gluten-free place I have eaten at since diagnosis in terms of gluten-free choice, quality of food and Coeliac-friendly staff. It's a modern and stylish restaurant and amid its quirky and vibrant decor, Tea 42 offers an exceptionally high quality dining experience. I mean this could be a Michelin-starred restaurant for all I know.

I immediately felt at ease when, before taking our order, our waiter asked if there was anybody with any food intolerance's. Thumbs up to Tea 42 for understanding people's needs who suffer with allergies and intolerance's. This is probably due to the fact co-owner Will Hannah is a Coeliac himself.

Tea 42 offer an extensive gluten-free menu, practically everything on their menu is gluten-free or can easily be made gluten-free if you just ask, and the menu has options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, afternoon tea and even tapas. Now there aren't many places gluten-free eaters can eat out at that offer tapas. The gluten-free afternoon tea looked amazing too, I definitely need to come back and try that!

Gluten-free tapas!

I was immediately drawn to the tapas and opted for 3 dishes, all reasonably priced at £4.75 each - the Moroccan pulled pork with quinoa salad, tomato, basil and red onion bruschetta and the pesto and parmesan arancini. All 3 tapas were absolutely delicious! What I loved about the food was that each individual dish was beautifully presented and obviously a lot of time and effort had gone in to making the food look good as well as taste great.

Moroccan pulled pork and quinoa salad

Tomato, basil and red onion bruschetta

Pesto and parmesan arancini

Tea 42 offer a great selection of cakes and desserts too which are all displayed in a huge glass display case at the back of the restaurant. When I asked the waiter behind the counter which ones were gluten-free he said all of them were! I really couldn't believe it, this never happens anywhere! As we tend to "eat with our eyes" Tea 42 like you to see the desserts before choosing what to have so we all walked to the display case and had a peek at each mouthwatering cake before we chose - this is a really nice touch I thought.

Scrummy strawberry cheesecake!

Also spotted on the menu was a whole list of gluten-free beers and a host of fancy cocktails. They are a must for next time too!

I'm completely in love with this place and can't wait to go back! The freedom of being able to eat gluten-free here is what makes this restaurant so special.

Here's their website

Newburn Bakehouse square seeded wraps

Last week Newburn Bakehouse announced that their fab square seeded wraps now include an extra wrap in every pack meaning you now get 4 wraps for the same price as we were paying for 3 previously. This was music to my ears as I'm sure it is for Coeliacs everywhere. I love these wraps (they make great fajitas) and they regularly appear in my shopping basket but I have to admit I did find them quite pricey (ranging between £2.90-£3.10 per pack depending on where you shop and where in the country you live). But now we are getting an extra wrap at no extra cost I feel they are definitely worth the money. What you are getting is 4 really substantial wraps that don't fall apart when you pack them with filling, I mean there's nothing worse than a fajita that falls apart in your hands is there?! The cost is definitely justified in that you are getting a great quality product that tastes amazing. Not only that, they are now certified dairy free as well as gluten free. Great news for people that are lactose intolerant or Coeliacs that are avoiding dairy products in the first 6-12 months of diagnosis.

Their square shape means they are really versatile and also make great light pizza bases ideal for lunch or a tasty healthy snack. I'd love to hear from you if you have tried the wraps and used them in a more adventurous way.

These wraps are becoming more widely available as you can now find them in La Tasca restaurants and Starbucks and Costa Coffee are also using them in their wraps-to-go. Read about my review of the Costa wraps here

Feel Free For Gluten Free's new 100% corn pasta range

Finally a gluten-free, dairy-free, wheat free pasta range that looks and tastes like the real thing! I'm talking proper Italian-tasting pasta! It's also egg and soya free and tastes amazing.

I was asked to sample Feel Free For Gluten Free's new pasta range during the recent Coeliac Awareness Week. They are a UK based company located in York. I have to admit it's a brand I wasn't too familiar with before (I've only really tried their chocolate brownie mix which I found in Sainsburys one time). But apparently they have a extensive range of other products on their website which I didn't even know about including pies, frozen meals and sweet bakery products. I will definitely be checking their other products out now that's for sure.

The new pasta range consists of spaghetti, fusilli, penne and alphabet spaghetti (ideal for the kids). It's 100% corn and has a low glycaemic index too which means it will keep you fuller for longer. Even better!

First things first. What I loved about the pasta initially was the packaging. It's eye catching, bold and very stylish indeed, it would definitely stand out on the supermarket shelf against other brands of gluten-free pasta in your local free from section.


Probably the best thing about this pasta is that it keeps its shape when cooked. It feels firm and there's no sticky gloopy mess which you tend to find with a lot of gluten-free pasta if you overcook it even by a few seconds.

It tasted great too, just how I imagine authentic Italian pasta to taste. At £1.99 a packet I feel this is really good value for money for a good quality gluten-free product.

I usually buy Sainsburys own Free From spaghetti and pasta which is rice based and I find that if overcooked it can be very stodgy as it retains a lot of water. 'Feel Free' pasta is different. It was great to try a new brand of pasta that just tasted like normal pasta and I am definitely going to be buying Feel Free For Gluten Free pasta again.


At the moment you can buy this pasta range online at www.glutenfree-direct.co.uk but I would really love to see it in my local Sainsburys and readily available in other supermarkets in the near future. So watch this space.

Homemade Minestrone soup with alphabet pasta.
For big kids too!

https://twitter.com/FeelFreeGF

https://www.facebook.com/feelfreeforglutenfree

The Gluten-Free Guarantee - My Supermarket Survey

This year for Coeliac Awareness Week Coeliac UK are focusing on the availability of gluten-free products in supermarkets. They know how frustrating it can be for Coeliacs having to shop in various different supermarkets rather than just one to do a weekly shop and get everything they want.

I, for one, am constantly frustrated at the lack of new gluten-free products in any of the supermarkets I shop in, in Leek or Macclesfield. When a new product comes out and there's a huge buzz about it on social media, the majority of the time it does not appear in any of my supermarkets until months after (with the exception of the new wraps from Costa Coffee) when the hype has usually died down and we're on to the next new gluten-free craze. This may be because I live in a small town, on the outskirts of the countryside, half an hour from any big city (Manchester or Stoke-on-Trent) but this doesn't change the fact that there are people living with Coeliac Disease who need to shop for food! The availability and convenience of a range of gluten-free products (not just one or two options) in every supermarket is something I feel so strongly about and I really hope that by raising awareness of this need for choice this Coeliac Awareness Week, supermarkets will listen and take action.

Supermarkets are getting much better, I must admit, and do offer a lot more choice than they did, say, 10 years ago as the demand for gluten-free products increases but there's still plenty more they could do. This improvement is due to the sheer number of people being diagnosed with Coeliac Disease which is growing at a huge rate. According to official statistics released this week the number of people diagnosed in the UK with Coeliac Disease has increased fourfold in the past 20 years. And this number is likely to grow which in turn will increase the demand for gluten-free food in our supermarkets.


For Coeliac Awareness Week this year Coeliac UK are asking supermarkets to sign up to their 'Gluten-Free Guarantee'. They would like all supermarkets to stock a core 8 gluten-free items, items we use day to day which they feel should be readily available to Coeliacs which are:-

• Fresh white bread
• Fresh brown bread
• Bread rolls
• Pasta
• Flour
• Cereal
• Cereal bars
• Crackers

I decided to do my own research here because I believe the supermarkets in Leek where I live can be a bit hit and miss when it comes to gluten-free products. I know, Leek, despite being a small town, is not the worst place for gluten-free availability but it certainly isn't the best either and I think there is plenty of room for improvement.

My Challenge

During this week I paid a visit to all the major supermarkets in Leek (including a couple that were a bit further afield but I occasionally shop in when I'm at work or visiting friends in nearby Stoke-on-Trent) to suss out the gluten-free availability in each store. Armed with my Gluten-Free Guarantee supermarket postcard supplied by Coeliac UK and my trusty pen, I spent some time looking at each Free From section and counting the number of items on offer. I did get a few funny looks from people as I stood in front of the shelves scrutinising them but I didn't really care, this was all in the name of research. 

Have you filled yours in yet?

Here are my findings...

	Supermarket
How many types of	Sainsburys Leek	Tesco Hanley	Tesco Metro Macclesfield	Waitrose Leek	Asda Leek	Morrisons Leek
Fresh white bread	2	6	2	3	0	0
Fresh brown bread (includes seeded)	4	6	4	6	1	3
Bread rolls	2	5	2	6	0	2
Flour	3	2	2	4	0	1
Pasta	7	6	2	6	1	2
Cereal (including porridge oats)	18	10	5	16	1	3
Cereal bars	9	4	3	10	3	4
Crackers	7	6	2	5	0	2
Total no of items	52	45	22	56	6	17

As you can see, way out in front were Waitrose and Sainsburys with an impressive 56 and 52 points respectively and no score lower than a 2 or 3 which means that in every one of the 8 categories there was more than one product to choose from. That means choice! And lots of it. Very close behind was Tesco in Hanley with a decent selection in all 8 categories. By far the worst supermarket for choice was Asda in Leek. This is only a small Asda store but the fact that this store did not even have white bread, rolls, flour, and crackers and only one choice of brown bread, pasta and cereal really isn't good enough and fell well below the standard set out by the Gluten-Free Guarantee. I will definitely be writing to head office about this particular Asda store. It's a good job there are plenty of other supermarkets in Leek to choose from otherwise I'd be pretty stuck. The most impressive Free From display must be awarded to Tesco in Hanley who had a massive Free From section, by far the biggest display in all 6 supermarkets I visited - the shelving took up pretty much half an aisle! (Wish I'd taken a photo). The smallest Free From section was Asda who had a pitiful 3 shelves - very disappointing.

On the whole I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of gluten-free products available where I shop. It's great to see that most supermarkets' Free From range are developing and expanding. Sainsburys and Tesco have their own very extensive Free From range, consisting of not only all your essential items such as bread and cereal, but Sainsburys even have their own frozen food Free From section including pizza, sausages, veggie burgers, chicken nuggets and fish fingers, whilst Tesco have a few of the more unusual items such as cous cous and jars of their own pasta sauce. Most supermarkets I visited stocked plenty of well known brands too such as Genius Foods, Newburn Bakehouse, Perkier Foods, Mrs Crimbles and Udi's Gluten Free, perhaps Morrisons being the only exception. I'm confident that over the next couple of years we'll see a lot more variety in our supermarket Free From sections, new companies starting their own ranges and supermarket Free From sections taking up much bigger shelf space in the aisles rather than just a couple of tiny shelves pushed at the end of an aisle. Perhaps also, supermarkets will begin to lower their prices of Free From products as the demand for these increases. We can but dream!

How does your supermarket fare? Do you have access to all 8 items on a regular basis in your local supermarket? Please comment below or send me a photo of your local supermarket's Free From aisle.