This is the 4th and final part of our series on the 2014 Allergy and Free From Show in London. You can read Part 1, Part 2 or Part 3 for 9 other great gluten free brands.

CELIA Beer and Clive’s Pies

CELIA stand at the Allergy and Free From Show in London

We wrote about the amazing combination that is CELIA Beer and Clive’s Pies a while back. Luckily their stands were near each other at the show, so we swung by to say hello. We really hope CELIA get stocked in one of the major supermarkets soon: it’s the best organic craft beer around. We said hi to Sally at Clive’s Pies and tried their new flavour: Mushroom and Leek and, of course we had to buy our favourite flavour, Aloo Gobi.

Clive’s Pies stand at the Allergy and Free From Show in London

Delicious Alchemy

Delicious Alchemy stand at the Allergy and Free From Show in London

We’re big fans of Delicious Alchemy, so couldn’t leave the show without picking up a couple of their lovely bags of goodness. This time we thought we’d try their porridge and chocolate brownie mix. Looking forward to trying that.

Genius, Udi’s and BFree

Genius stand at the Allergy and Free From Show in London

And last but not least, our friends at Genius, Udi’s and BFree took exhibition stands to a whole new level and were all spectacular. What did we try? Genius’s crumpets. OMG. Udi’s Tiger Bloomer and BFree’s Fajitas.

Udi’s stand at the Allergy and Free From Show in London

BFree stand at the Allergy and Free From Show in London

So that was it. If you made it there what was your favourite stand?

The post Allergy and Free From Show – Part 4: Old Friends appeared first on The Gluten Free Blog.

This is the 3rd part of a four part series on the 2014 Allergy and Free From Show in London. You can read Part 1 and Part 2 for 6 more great GF brands.

Hotch Potch Eggs

Hotch Potch Eggs stand at the Allergy and Free From Show in London

Now for something completely different. Hotch Potch Eggs are scotch eggs with a twist.  Made with gluten free pork mixed with a delicious range of locally sourced fresh ingredients including olives, sweet peppers, apricots these were so popular at the show there were none left by the time we got there but everyone else was raving about them. Selfridges have put an order in.

Find out more at www.hotchpotcheggs.co.uk, on Twitter at @HotchPotchEggs or on Facebook.

Venice Bakery

Venice Bakery stand at the Allergy and Free From Show in London

One of the stands that was permanently packed was Venice Bakery. Probably something to do with the free gluten free pizza they were giving away. Always a winner. New to the UK, their award winning gluten free pizza bases are perfect for creating tasty pizzas at home. Just add sauce and load with your favourite toppings. Large pizza bases are £3.79, small pizza bases cost £3.59 and at the moment they’re only available from the Venice Bakery website. Hopefully they’ll be available in our favourite stores soon.

Find out more at shop.venicebakery.co.uk, on Twitter at @VeniceBakeryUK or on Facebook.

Ten Acre

Ten Acre stand at the Allergy and Free From Show in London

Last but not least we got our mitts on the brilliantly named and super tasty Ten Acre crisps.  Flavours include The Day Sweet and Sour Became Friends; The Secrets of Mr Salt; When Bombay Got Spicy; and How Chicken Soup Saved the Day. MSG free, gluten free and dairy free these crisps are hand-cooked with love. Check out the stories behind each flavour too. Very funny.

Not sure where these are available to buy though or how much they cost. Perhaps the nice people at Ten Acre can let us know?

Find out more at www.tenacrecrisps.co.uk, on Twitter at @10Acre or on Facebook.

The post Allergy and Free From Show – Part 3: Scotch Eggs, American Pizza and English Crisps appeared first on The Gluten Free Blog.

This is the 2nd part of a four part series on the 2014 Allergy and Free From Show in London. You can read Part 1 for 3 more great GF brands.

Rebelicious Foods

Rebelicious Foods stand at the Allergy and Free From Show in London

We spoke to the Fran O’Donaghue of Rebelicious Foods from Ireland. They do these lovely gluten free cereals in gorgeous packaging including cornflakes that really taste like corn (not cardboard). They’re cerealy tasty. (That’s their gag not mine!) The range also has puffed rice, buckwheat, museli, granola and porridge.

Priced at between £1.50 and £2.45, Rebelicious is available in Irish stores like Eurospar and Centra but the products are coming to the UK soon.

Find out more at www.rebeliciousfoods.com.

Bakestone Bakery

Bakestone Bakery stand at the Allergy and Free From Show in London

From Ireland to Wales: The Bakestone Bakery in Pontypool make the most scrummy gluten free and dairy free Welsh Cakes and they’re available to order from the website for £5. Other products in the range include Carrot and Walnut and Sticky Toffee.

Find out more at www.bakestonebakery.co.uk, on Twitter at @bakestonebakery or on Facebook.

Pudology

Pudology stand at the Allergy and Free From Show in London

To finish off we tried Pudology, delicious award-winning dairy and gluten free desserts. Flavours include Chocolate Orange Pud, Strawberry Pud, Chocolate Pud and my personal favourite, Bannoffe Pud. Pudology puds cost £3.45 for two pots and are available from Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose, Ocado and Selfridges.

Find out more at www.pudology.com, on Twitter at @Pudology or on Facebook.

The post Allergy and Free From Show – Part 2: Corn Flakes, Welsh Cakes and Chocolate Pud appeared first on The Gluten Free Blog.

At the beginning of July I checked out the Allergy and Free From Show at London Olympia and I have to say I think it was one of the best shows ever.  So much so, we can’t fit it all in one post. Look out for other posts later in the week.

As usual, we caught up with old friends and some of the brands we’ve featured here on The Gluten Free Blog. But we also got to try some less familiar brands and products.

Free’d Foods

Free’d Foods stand at the Allergy and Free From Show in London

One of which was Free’d. Originally from Geneva but now based in East London, David, Tomas and Daniel are three foodie entrepreneurs responsible for a range of unbelievably tasty gluten free crispbreads. There are five flavours in the range:  The Original made with teff and flax seeds. (Don’t know what teff is? Check out this post.) Tomato and Oregano; Pumpkin Seeds; Emmental Cheese; and Chia and Sesame seeds. My personal favourite. I had to grab a packet to bring home. Available in Planet Organic, Whole Foods and a bunch of other stores for £3.50 a packet, these crispbreads come highly recommended.

Find out more at www.freed-foods.com, on Twitter at @freedfoods or on Facebook.

Ugg Foods

Ugg Foods stand at the Allergy and Free From Show in London

I also met Neil McCredie from Ugg Foods which produce a range of nutritious loaves and muffin mixes that can be used in a number of different recipes.  Ugg Foods are gluten free, dairy free, soya free and with no added sugar. And they’re perfect if you’re following a Paleo diet or a low GI diet. I tried Chia Seed and Nut Bread as well as the Chocolate Chia muffins and they were uggtastic! We also love the packaging and their brilliant stand. Gluten free mixes are available from the website for £6.95 per bag and there’s free delivery on orders over £40.

Find out more at www.uggfoods.com, on Twitter at @uggfoods or on Facebook.

Wellabys

Wellaby’s chips and dips at the Allergy and Free From Show in London

I also chatted to Sue Warren at Wellaby’s, which make this amazing range of healthy, and gluten free chips and dips. We tried lentil chips, hummus chips and pita chips, which were all really crunch and tasty. What’s nice is the ingredients are baked in. So you could see and taste the olives. And the red peppers. In fact, the Hummus Chips with Kalamata Olives were Highly Commended at the FreeFrom Food Awards 2014. Most of the range is savoury. But I loved loved loved the Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Pita Chips. Highly Recommended in The Gluten Free Blog Awards. (If we had them!)

You can buy Wellabys on Amazon. And some products are available now in Sainsbury’s.

Find out more at www.wellabys.com, on Twitter at @WellabysUK, or on Facebook.

The post Allergy and Free From Show – Part 1: Chips and Crispbreads and Chocolate Chia appeared first on The Gluten Free Blog.

The post Guide to Gluten-Free Flour Blends (Infographic) appeared first on The Gluten Free Blog.

Eat Natural Gluten Free Bars

These bars from Eat Natural have become a huge favourite at Gluten Free Towers in recent weeks. Chewy and nutty with a smooth yoghurt coating they have no artificial flavours or colours, and no preservatives. And most importantly they’re gluten free. Yay. Perfect for that mid-afternoon slump.

Next time we might actually have a picture of one of the bars. (Thanks guys for scoffing them before I took a pic!)

We’ve been buying ours in Waitrose and Sainsbury’s but I think they’re pretty much available everywhere.

The post Nut and fruit bars from Eat Natural: Abso-bloomin’-lutely Gluten Free appeared first on The Gluten Free Blog.

Whether you have a food allergy or intolerance, are vegetarian or vegan or even need to find a child-friendly venue or a place with disabled access, Leave It Out can help.

Simply enter your post code, click which intolerance you have and Leave It Out will show you your nearest restaurants.

You can even win dinner for two at a restaurant of your choice by writing a review or sending the site a new listing. Got a fantastic local restaurant you want to talk about? Just register here (it takes about 30 seconds) and write a review. Or if you want to see your favourite local restaurant listed just contact the Leave It Out team.

You’ll also find lots of informative articles on the site written by Medical Consultant Dr Adam Fox and Dietician Tanya Wright, such as Coeliac Disease And Malt Extract and When And How Can Wheat Allergy Occur?

We think this site is going to be a great resource. Remember to get your reviews and recommendations in. And you might be enjoying a gluten free pizza free of charge at the end of the month!

The post Leave It Out! Gluten free dining just got easier appeared first on The Gluten Free Blog.

So we’re thrilled to see that the people over at Genius are involved. And as you know we’re huge Genius fans here at The Gluten Free Blog. Genius bread is delicious. So we can’t wait to see what scrummy fillings Claridge’s serves up.

It’s Monday May 10th. So we’ll give you a full report after the event.

The post The Gluten Free Blog is invited to Claridge’s for a gluten free tea! appeared first on The Gluten Free Blog.

Corn-based gluten free pasta

I’ve just been on a snowboarding trip to a small resort called Baqueira-Beret on the Spanish side of the Pyrenées. Luckily, being able to successfully manage a gluten free diet in Spain has become increasingly easy in recent years.

I was in Barcelona before I went to the mountains and there are a few restaurants that are pretty knowledgeable when it comes to coeliac disease. I discovered these thanks to an article by those CeliacChicks. This led me to the Celiac Society Catalunya Restaurant Guide which has a larger list, although the site itself is in Spanish (or Catalan).

When cooking at a friend’s house, I used some gluten free corn-based pasta that I picked up in a great little shop on Via Laietana called Veritas. Expensive at €4,35 (see photo) but very good none the less. And probably pricey because it’s actually an Italian brand! They also stocked Clearspring products, which I know from the UK.

Anyway, back to the mountains. The resort of Baqueira-Beret wasn’t so easy. The hotel was accommodating but eating out proved more difficult. So on my return I did a quick search on eating gluten free whilst skiing/snowboarding. I found an article by a guy in the US on his site Gluten Free Snowboarder. The site isn’t about gluten free snowboarding per se: he just happens to be a keen snowboarder who is also gluten intolerant! The crux of the article was that, although a few resorts in the US are starting to be more accommodating, it’s probably worth taking a packed lunch with you when you hit the slopes. Let’s hope the resorts in the US and in Europe catch up soon with the major cities.

So plenty to enjoy when eating in Spain even if you are slightly more on your own when in the mountains. Just make sure you take your Catalan or Spanish gluten free restaurant card from Celiac Travel with you!

The post Gluten Free Barcelona (and Baqueira-Beret) appeared first on The Gluten Free Blog.

Wold Top Brewery's Against The Grain gluten free beer

There’s a lot of confusion on the internet as to whether beer is gluten free or not.

Beer is mostly made from barley which contains hordein, a type of gluten. (Wheat’s gluten is known as gliadin.) But some manufacturers claim that all the gluten is removed in the brewing process. This is almost certainly not the case though. And if you’re a coeliac, it’s best to avoid traditional beers altogether rather than run the risk of becoming ill.

The great news is that there are plenty of gluten free beer brands on the market. And they all taste pretty good too.

Here in the UK we’ve tried a few gluten free beers. And, in no particular order, here are our favourites.

Green’s produces eight gluten free beers, lagers and ales which are made using pseudo cereals such as sorghum, millet, buckwheat and brown rice. Our favourites include Endeavour dark beer with its flavour of roasted grain and winter fruits; Quest triple blonde beer with flavours of pear, melon and citrus; and Pioneer lager with its flavours of dried apple and apricot. (Green’s are UK based but distribute in the US and Canada as well.)

The Fine Ale Club produce an award-winning gluten free beer called Against the Grain which is smooth, rich and creamy. It’s also suitable for vegans

Hambleton’s Ales produce two gluten free beers: GFA and GLA. (You can order online or find them in your local Tesco or Sainsbury’s.) The GLA is a honey coloured ale with a full body and fruit and citrus flavours. The GFL is a pale lager style beer, best served chilled, with fruit and citrus flavours.

St Peter’s Brewery produce another of our favourites: G-Free. This gluten free beer was launched in August 2007, and with its aromas of citrus and mandarin from American Amarillo hops, it has already become a favourite with real ale lovers.

If you’re based in the US or Canada you might want to try out Redbridge gluten free beer produced with sorghum. Or Bard’s who make ‘great tasting sorghum malt beer that just happens to be gluten free.’ True.

New Grist from Lakefront brewery is brewed from sorghum, hops, water, rice and gluten-free yeast grown on molasses. Whilst New York’s Ramapo Valley Brewery produces the beautifully named gluten free Honey Beer made from molasses, hops and of course honey. It’s also a Kosher beer.

Don’t forget: Gluten free beer still contains alcohol. So remember to drink sensibly! Enjoy.

The post Is beer gluten free? appeared first on The Gluten Free Blog.

Genius gluten free bread

Tried a new gluten free bread this week. And it was genius! No it really was. Genius’s gluten free bread tastes just like the real thing and is the brainchild of Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne, a mum of three and a professionally-trained chef.

When she discovered two of her children had foods allergies she set about creating the perfect gluten free loaf so her little boy could enjoy toasty ‘soldiers’ with his boiled egg. Not only that, she wanted to create a gluten free bread that the whole family would be happy to eat – not just the ‘gluten frees’.

“It took me three years to perfect Genius Gluten-Free Bread and my children would often come home from school to find 14 different loaves of bread waiting for them to try. I even broke my oven. But finally I got there.” Says Lucinda.

I agree. Genius gluten free bread is soft, bouncy and tasty. And unlike some gluten free breads you can eat this bread without toasting it. I made a fried-egg sandwich yesterday and it was delicious.

Genius gluten free bread is available from all major UK grocery stores. (Sainsbury’s have got it at half price at the moment, so try it!)

The post Gluten free bread by Genius appeared first on The Gluten Free Blog.

Well, no.

In reality, foodstuffs labelled ‘gluten free’ do contain traces of gluten. But it’s in such tiny amounts it’s considered not harmful to a coeliac sufferer. For food to be labelled ‘gluten free’ it needs to have less than 20mg of gluten per kg. In other words 200 parts per million (ppm). (This applies in European Union countries only.)

Food products which contain between 20 and 100ppm can be labelled ‘very low gluten’ and these may suit sufferers who have less sensitivity to gluten. Or are able to eat gluten occasionally.

This two tier labelling system came into affect in January 2009 but manufactures have until January 2012 to comply with the law.

Don’t forget that some mainstream products like crisps (potato chips) and rice cakes are naturally gluten free although the manufacturer may not choose to label it as such. As always, remember to check the label!

Find out more about other gluten free foods.

The post How free of gluten does a foodstuff have to be to be labelled ‘gluten free’? appeared first on The Gluten Free Blog.

McDonald's french fries. Image courtesy of cfinke

When you’re on the run, it’s tempting to dash into your local fast food joint and grab yourself a quick bite. But if you’re following a gluten free diet surely your local McDonald’s is off limits?

Not so. There are numerous foods which are gluten free at McDonald’s. (Although we recommend you don’t eat them every day.) Note: these apply to UK McDonalds’s restaurants only.

Meaty stuff
A McDonald’s hamburger, cheeseburger, Quarter Pounder^®, and Big Mac^® are all gluten free IF eaten without the bun. All McDonald’s burgers are made with 100% beef; so they’re not ‘beefed up’ with any cereal, rusk or flour.

And according to McDonald’s they’re happy to serve you just the burger minus the bun if you ask your server when ordering. Apparently, they don’t even mind if you bring your own gluten free bun in with you.

Potato things

• French fries (Note: UK only. It seems that US french fries do have gluten.)
• Potato wedges
• Hash browns

Green stuff

• Fruit bags
• Carrot sticks
• Garden salads

McFlurrys

• Cadburys Crunchie McFlurry andDairy Milk McFlurrys are both gluten free
• But Aero McFlurrys are NOT gluten free

Sundaes

• Strawberry sundaes are gluten free
• But toffee sundaes are NOT gluten free

Drinks

• Regular coffee
• Latte
• But Cappuccinos are NOT gluten free. (The chocolate chips used contain gluten.)
• Hot chocolate
• Apple juice
• Orange juice
• Soft drinks
• Milkshakes

Sauces

• Big Mac sauce
• Heinz Tomato Ketchup
• Mustard
• Mayo
• Spicy tomato salsa

What else to avoid
The obvious things to avoid are buns, wraps and anything in breadcrumbs. Fish fingers, chicken nuggets and onion rings are also off limits.

But if you’re not sure about any ingredients just ask your server. And if they don’t seem sure ask to speak to the manager. Don’t run the risk of being ill over a Filet-O-Fish^®

Update: Following on from a number of queries we had regarding the fries, we contacted McDonald’s directly. See this post for their reply.

The post Lovin’ it. Yes, it is possible to be gluten free at McDonald’s. appeared first on The Gluten Free Blog.

But there are numerous foods that are naturally gluten free (although we recommend that you always check the ingredients list.)

Check out our list of gluten free foods.

Proteins

• Fresh meat
• Fish and shellfish
• Poultry and game

Green and fruity

• All fruit
• All vegetables
• Fresh herbs

Carbs for energy

• Rice
• Rice cakes
• Rice noodles (CARE: Some rice noodles have wheat added. Always check the ingredients.)
• Corn tortillas (CARE: Authentic corn tortillas are made without wheat or gluten. But always check the ingredients or ask your waiter.)
• Corn chips (CARE: Authentic corn chips are made without wheat or gluten. But always check the ingredients or ask your waiter.)
• Tapioca
• Pulses, lentils and beans
• Corn flakes
• Millet flakes
• Polenta

Flours for cooking

• Corn flour
• Gram flour
• Rice flour
• Tapioca flour
• Soya flour
• Buckwheat flour
• Millet
• Dairy
• Eggs
• Cheese
• Cottage cheese (not cheese spreads)
• Yogurt (the ones without the wheaty bits added)
• Milk
• Ice cream
• Fromage frais
• Cream

NOTE: If you’ve been recently diagnosed with coeliac disease, you could be lactose intolerant as well.

The body produces lactase which breaks down the sugars found in milk. But if your intestine is damaged by coeliac disease you may temporarily have lactase deficiency. So avoid dairy products for a while, follow a gluten free diet, allow your intestines to repair and slowly reintroduce dairy back into your diet.

Spreads

• Jam
• Marmalade
• Marmite
• Black treacle
• Honey
• Golden syrup
• Peanut butter

Snack attacks

• Nuts (CARE: Some dry roasted, ‘chocolate’ coated or ‘yogurt’ coated nuts contain whet or gluten.)
• Dried fruit (CARE: Some dried fruit coatings such as ‘chocolate’ or ‘yogurt’ contain wheat or gluten.)
• Popcorn
• Jelly

Cooking basics

• Bicarbonate of soda
• Cream of tartar
• Coconut milk
• Dried and fresh yeast
• Dijon mustard
• Horseradish sauce
• Garlic puree
• Sugar
• Salt
• Pepper
• Tomato Puree
• Tamari Sauce (a wheat free and gluten free soy sauce)
• Vegetable oil
• Sunflower oil
• Olive oil
• Cider vinegar
• Wine vinegar
• Distilled vinegar (not malt vinegar)
• Xantham gum (add to gluten free flours to get delicious breads and pastry)

Drinks

• Coffee
• Tea
• Herbal tea
• Fruit juice
• Fruit drinks (not barley water)
• Alcoholic drinks
• Wine
• Champagne
• Port
• Sherry
• Ciders
• Liqueurs
• Spirits, including whisky, are all gluten-free

Have we missed anything? Let us know.

The post List of gluten free foods: all those things you CAN eat appeared first on The Gluten Free Blog.

Grocery stores such as Sainsbury’s, Asda and Tesco all have their own ‘Free From’ ranges, as well as carrying other gluten free brands. Definitely worth checking out are Sainsbury’s gluten free muffins: they’re moist and sweet and taste like the real thing. And with Christmas coming up fast, it’s worth stocking up on Sainsbury’s gluten free Christmas pudding and gluten free mince pies. These come highly recommended. Delicious!

Tesco’s is another grocery store with their own ‘Free From’ range. Some of our favourites include the gluten free double chocolate cake. As well as cupboard staples like gluten free brown bread and gluten free pitta bread.

Mrs Crimble’s Gluten Free Chocolate Macaroons

Another grocery store with a gluten free range is Asda. We particularly like Asda’s gluten free penne pasta and spirals pasta. These both cook really well and don’t disintegrate into a wallpaper paste consistency like some gluten free pastas.

All the high street grocery stores carry other gluten free brands such as Glutano, Kelkin, Tru Free, Orgran, and Juvela. Don’t forget to try Mrs Crimble as well, now available in most of the major supermarkets. The gluten free chocolate macaroons are amazing. But will you be able to stop at one?

What grocery stores stock your favourite gluten free products? Let us know.

The post Gluten Free Grocery Stores: What local supermarkets sell gluten free foods? appeared first on The Gluten Free Blog.