Month: June 2017

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Tortilla Chips by Manomasa

Where From? Manomasa
Available at Whole Foods, Waitrose, Sainsburys and Beyond

My love affair with tortilla chips, or totopos as they are known in Mexico, began well before I found out I couldn’t eat gluten. Tortilla chips served with any dip including guacamole, spicy salsa or black bean dip are guaranteed to make the perfect snack. It’s not common, however, that I find a tortilla chip so good that I want to eat it solo. That’s how I feel about the new flavours from UK-based Manomasa, which are all 100% gluten free. The company currently has nine different innovative and delicious flavours, including Feta and Pomegranate Vinaigrette, Serrano Chilli & Yucatan Honey and my absolute favourite – Manchego & Green Olive. Top marks also go to Manomasa for the beautiful and vibrant packaging, the colours of which remind me of being back in Latin America. Go grab your packs in store or online at Whole Foods, Sainsburys, Tesco, Waitrose, Selfridges and beyond!

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Treves & Hyde: Your New Neighbourhood Favourite

As the daughter of a former-restaurant critic, coming across delectable new eateries has always been a passion of mine. Since finding out I could not eat gluten, my quest has become even more important, with heightened expectations to not only eat delicious food but to do so in a stress-free environment. I was delighted to find that all of my boxes were ticked after an early summer’s evening at East London’s Treves & Hyde.

Located just a hop skip and a jump from Aldgate Underground, Treves & Hyde occupies a two floor modern building. Its modest entrance takes you directly into its ode-to-Shoreditch coffee and cake offering, where head of coffee James Wise currently holds the “World’s Best” title from the Coffee Masters global competition. Head up the windy, wooden staircase and you’ve arrived in the Stockholm meets New York dining room, equipped with rustic wooden bar and floor length windows, the view from which serves as a gentle reminder that you are in fact in the City of London.

We were greeted by warm and friendly front of house staff, all of whom immediately approved of our aperitif choice – a Limoncello and champagne cocktail – which has been a best-seller since the sunshine arrived in London in May. I was immediately impressed by the staff’s knowledge of allergies and dietary requirements and moved on to my first course feeling completely at ease. I was presented with my very own gluten free starter – a small plate of lusciously red poponcino peppers stuffed with salt cod brandade, which came with a healthy dollop of saffron aioli on the side.

The poponcino peppers were a perfect stepping stone to my starter of scallop and seabass ceviche with peas and verjus. The freshness of the seafood was by no means overpowered by the citrus flavours of the ceviche broth and was incredibly moreish. I of course still had room to sample my friend’s delicately seared tuna, edamame, carrot and nori seaweed crisp – a wonderfully fragrant and melt-in-the-mouth way to start a meal.

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Head chef George Tannock, who takes inspiration from an array of global flavours, goes out of his way to be as allergy-conscious as possible. This is no small feat for a restaurant that changes its menu as much as Treves & Hyde. “Even with a small menu, we always make sure to have at least one gluten free option for each course,” he told us, adding that he is happy to accommodate and adapt most dishes where possible to meet a gluten free diner’s needs. At least two vegetarian starters are also available as well as one vegan main course. This conscious effort goes hand-in-hand with George’s prediction for the future of eating. “People will start to eat less meat and fish and lean towards a plant-based diet,” he said, adding that the focus on a more balanced way of eating is becoming more prominent in the restaurant industry.

For my main course, I chose the naturally gluten free stone bass with sea kale, artichoke barigoule and seaweed hollandaise and saffron sauce – a hearty and perfectly flavoured dish which was pleasantly complemented by the array of sides we ordered. I can highly recommend the freshly shaved fennel and baby gem lettuce with a homemade ranch dressing as well as the sweet potatoes with tahini yoghurt and pomegranate. We barely had room for dessert, but could not resist trying the gluten free butterscotch creme caramel and salted popcorn: a small pot of sweet rich caramel creme topped with crunchy popcorn.

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The diversity of our choices made the experience at Treves & Hyde all the more enjoyable. “Just like you can find all types of people in London, you can find all types food on our menu,” George said. Treves & Hyde has totally succeeded in becoming the seasonal flavour-serving neighbourhood restaurant that it sets out to be. The restaurant will be opening two new London locations in 2018, as well as a Paris restaurant. Book now to enjoy their express lunch, a la carte or brunch menus and I assure you you will not regret it.

Treves & Hyde
15/17 Leman Street
London E18 EN
Tel: 020 3621 8900
(Tables bookable via the restaurant website or over the phone)

Photo Credits: Mateja Osonjacki

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DeLepel

Many would say ice cream, or gelato, is a way of life. It has been a go-to dessert in my family for decades and a permanent offering even before the reality hit that gluten was not my friend. I was sure however, that ice cream would still be a safe sweet treat and easy to source, given its presence on almost every restaurant menu. But sadly, ice cream, like so many other things, often contains hidden gluten and other allergens. This should not be the case though, DeLepel Dolci & Gelati founder Massimo Caroti told me. “Real gelato does not call for grains, gluten or a lot of the other unpronounceable ingredients we see on so many labels today,” he said.

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Massimo, a self-taught Italian gelato artist who moved to Amsterdam one year ago, set out to create an entirely natural gelateria and that is most certainly what he has done. Located on Ceintuurbaan in the trendy Brooklyn-esque De Pijp neighbourhood, DeLepel opened its doors to gelato enthusiasts on April 1, 2017. Already a hit with Amsterdam residents and foreign visitors alike, the up-and-coming gelateria is by default entirely gluten and processed ingredient free, thanks to the way in which this all-natural gelato is prepared. This was no easy task however, taking Massimo two months to locate a chemical-free cream for the base of his gelato alone.

DeLepel currently offers up to 24 different flavours of ice cream and dairy-free sorbet, six of which change on a weekly basis depending on seasonal availability and creative urge. The gelateria also produces a number of chilled gluten free desserts, including tiramisu. “A lot of gluten free and dairy free customers will come into the shop and their positive reaction is what makes this job even more special for me,” Massimo said, adding that his history with allergies and intolerances was part of the motivation behind his project. He described being angry or upset when cross-contamination was not taken seriously in the past. “This results in people having to miss out on delicious things,” Massimo said.

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The proof of Massimo’s hard work really is in the product and the overall experience you have when inside DeLepel. I knew upon entering that I was in wonderful hands and did not hold back when ordering a double cone, filled with classic chocolate and Italian custard flavoured ice creams. The gelato was rich, fragrant and not overbearingly sweet, accompanied perfectly by a crunchy gluten free cone.

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I would urge any of you reading this to put DeLepel high up on your must-visit list for Amsterdam. However, I am sure that you will be seeing this name in other cities across the Netherlands in the not too distant future. This hard-working five-person team and the fabulous ice cream they produce are sure to go far.

DeLepel: Ceintuurbaan 320, 1072 GP Amsterdam, Netherlands
Black and White Photo Credits: Phil Yisrael

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Serrano Sandwich by Joe & The Juice

Where From? Joe & The Juice
Available in All London Branches

Not being able to eat gluten can often be inconvenient, especially when trying to source food on-the-go. With more and more shops starting to offer a gluten free alternative to the standard ham and cheese or BLT, I’ve been doing a fair bit of taste-testing. I was very pleased to hear a new local branch of the Danish chain Joe & The Juice offers all of its sandwiches on toasted gluten free sandwich thins. After a disappointing first taste of their turkey option, I was delighted to chow down on the deliciously satisfying Serrano Ham Sandwich, featuring the Spanish ham alongside mozzarella, avocado, tomato and pesto. I swapped my tomato for spinach to boost my morning greens and it was a perfect way to start the day, made extra moreish by the generous pesto dressing. The gluten free sandwiches are prepped on a separate board to avoid cross contamination and while pricey at over £6 a pop, this is definitely an option for that emergency breakfast/lunchtime panic!

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Chipotle: An Allergy-Conscious Mexican Grill

Growing up in a part-Latin American household meant many a quesadilla lunch and unmissable taco nights. I have great memories of my parents hosting Mexican dinner parties when I was little and while I couldn’t drink the margaritas, I could definitely soak up the atmosphere and then sneak food to my room. I wasn’t worried about not being able to eat Mexican food again once I found out I couldn’t eat gluten however, given traditional Mexican cuisine is virtually gluten free if flour tortillas are avoided. This was not the case in many Mexican-themed western restaurants though, and I found many eateries to be unnecessarily lacing components of the cuisine with gluten containing ingredients.

US-based Chipotle, which has been in the UK for seven years now has proven itself as an exception to the rule. The Mexican eatery has introduced an allergy-friendly way to dine and has simultaneously gained gluten free accreditation from Coeliac UK for all of its sites in London. “Eat to Your Own Beat” – a personalised food selection tool on their website – was introduced at the end of May and I was lucky enough to be at the company’s Soho branch to celebrate with fellow foodies and gluten free bloggers alike.

The interactive tool helps users see exactly what combinations are possible, whatever the dietary requirement – be it gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, vegan, paleo or even high protein. To make your meal completely gluten free however, you must only avoid the flour tortilla which is used to make a traditional burrito. Everything else is guaranteed gluten free, even the tortilla chips! For those of you need meal inspiration, the tool suggests several combinations based on your dietary requirement. Those of you gluten freers are recommended to try Chipotle’s chicken salad, barbacoa bowl or steak crispy corn tacos, while dairy-free eaters should give the chicken burrito, steak soft flour tacos or carnitas salad a go!

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On the night of the launch, I opted for a tortilla-free burrito bowl with all the trimmings and I most certainly did not hold back. I ate my delicious rice and black bean-based bowl with complete ease after watching the staff prepare my meal in-front of me, who always make a point of using new plastic gloves to serve allergy sufferers to avoid cross-contamination. I picked a combination of the tender steak and chicken, topped with tomatillo green chilli salsa, roasted chilli corn salsa, guacamole, cheese and plenty of sour cream. This was all washed down with a delicious round (or two) of the Chipotle house-made Margaritas, which come highly recommended!

A big thank you and a cheers to Chipotle – not only am I dying to come back and try even more combinations, but I’m grateful for the opportunity you gave me to meet fellow gluten-freers. Until next time!

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Pictured: @theglutenfreebunn, @thesightseeingcoeliac and @glutenfreealex_
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Free From Festival

At the end of May, Free From Events hosted the UK’s first-ever gluten, dairy and refined-sugar free festival in East London’s Old Spitalfield’s Market. The event, created by Margarita Kalna, was choc-a-bloc with 56 exhibitors and over 2,800 hungry customers. Margarita has been building up her free from event planning operation since 2014, after witnessing a good friend struggle to eat out and source allergy-friendly food products. I had the pleasure of attending last month and have selected my top picks from the event, all of whom are businesses well-worth keeping an eye on.

Eat Safe App

Still struggling when it comes to picking an allergy-friendly place to go for a meal? Matt Bland – the founder and creator of Eat Safe – knows how you feel and wants to help. Eat Safe is a new and upcoming initiative to make picking a restaurant easier for allergy sufferers. The app allows users to pick their current location and dietary requirement before offering suggestions for nearby eateries. What’s interesting about this app is that as well as revealing your nearest 100% allergy-friendly restaurants, places perhaps you never knew served gluten or dairy free dishes for example, are also factored in. Each location is then given a ranking according to the number of allergy-friendly options available on their menu.

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I had the opportunity to play around with the app and cannot wait to use it regularly. If you’re interested in giving it a go during the limited launch period in mid-June, head over to the Eat Safe website to sign up or get in touch with the team via contact@eatsafeapp.co.uk.

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Green Sisters

After six years of not being able to eat a samosa, coming across the Green Sisters was an emotional moment. This delightful family business creates gluten free, vegetarian and egg free Indian food, as part of a concept they call “considered dining” – in other words, eating which is considerate of a variety of dietary needs whether a diet is being followed through choice or necessity.

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Tucking into this spicy samosa with a side of vegetable pakora and fragrant chickpeas was one of the day’s top highlights and something I look forward to doing again in the near future. Follow these wonderful ladies on social media for news of their next pop-up.

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White Rabbit Pizza Co.

You may well have already tried the gold-dust pizza created by White Rabbit Pizza Co. in Oxford, given they are stocked by well-known retailers including Planet Organic and Abel & Cole. For me however, this was a first-time experience and I was certainly not disappointed. All pizzas from this group are gluten free and organic, and there is even a vegan pie on offer too.

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The company originally started off serving much-requested gluten free pizzas in their pubs in Oxford. Following such a great success, the team decided to start distributing across the country and have never looked back. Keep your eyes peeled for new stockists of these pizzas, including Whole Foods and As Nature Intended. These guys are sure to go far.

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MannaVida

Even before I discovered gluten was a no-go, the idea of baking my own bread never inspired me. After meeting the husband and wife team behind MannaVida however, I am stoked to start creating my own hassle-free gluten free foccacia at home.

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Dan Jennings and Davina Steel produce a selection of bake-at-home bread mixes and flours which are entirely free from additives and gluten. The team started up their business in 2015 when treatment for cancer left Davina severely intolerant to gluten. MannaVida has since won three World Bread Awards and continues to develop new recipes and improve old favourites. It is no wonder the team ran out of bread samples on the day – the texture of every kind I tried was spot on and full of flavour. Get yours online from Ocado.

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Cake and Cucumber

Feeling incredibly stuffed after sampling all of the amazing food detailed above and more, I stumbled across Cake and Cucumber’s stand and I am so glad I did. The company is headed up by East London resident and baking-enthusiast Phoebe. An advocate of free-from, wholefoods cooking, Phoebe ticks all gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free boxes when it comes to preparing food without compensating on flavour.

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Phoebe began her venture in 2015 and appears at a number of events across London with Cake and Cucumber. She also hosts pop-ups and workshops. Keep your eyes on the company website for more details on where to source these delicious products baked with love.

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Free From Festival will be in Bristol on Saturday 28 October from 10:30am onwards
Photo Credits: Ilmi Perez-Stubbs