Afternoon tea (and a spot of dinner) at Tewin Bury Farm

Having tried out gluten free afternoon teas at both the Dorchester and Harrods, I was excited to see how afternoon tea at a location a bit closer to home (and much cheaper!) would stack up. I am actually getting married at TBF next year so afternoon tea there was a perfect excuse to have another nosey round my venue.

Overall I was very impressed with TBF's offering. Their sandwiches were absolutely delicious (the cream cheese and cucumber was my personal fave), as were the scones (although I was a bit disappointed that they had no currants in... To me a scone isn't a scone without a bit of fruit!).

My only slight disappointment was the cakes. Not because they tased bad, no way, but more because they didn't really give me anything that I couldn't have bought at a supermarket (lemon & poppyseed cake, Bakewell tart and a brownie). I don't know about you, but to me, afternoon tea is something that should be a little bit special and not what you would normally have at home, for example, the cakes at the afternoon teas at Harrods & The Dorchester.

However, don't let this put you off TBF's offering alas a) they were still delish, b) it is a lot cheaper at TBF (TBF costs £29.95 for two, The Dorchester is £82 for the equivalent and Harrods is £58 (unless you find cheaper deals for the latter two, as I did), c) by the time I got to the cakes I was already stuffed anyway and d) I actually think that TBF has a nicer setting and ambience than either of the other two locations.

So, to sum up, I would definitely recommend TBF afternoon tea- everything was delicious and £30 for two is really excellent value. 8.5/10

I have also had dinner at the restaurant at TBF, and again, would really recommend it. The chefs are really accommodating and can adapt most of the dishes on the menu to be gluten free. I would just advise letting them know that you are gluten free when you book. When I arrived, they had also sorted out some gluten free bread for me too!

For more details on the restaurant, including afternoon tea, see http://www.tewinbury.co.uk/restaurant

Pizza Express have finally gone gluten free!

Well, when I say finally, the gluten free menu was actually launched a few months ago, but wedding planning has been all consuming, hence the lateness of this post!

Having had some bad times with Pizza Express before they launched this menu (most notably, when they tried to re-serve me a salad which they had accidentally put bread sticks on, simply by taking the bread sticks off... Hello, cross contamination?!) I was head of the anti Pizza Express club. So when I heard that they were launching a gluten free menu, I was somewhat dubious. However, I was lucky enough to live in the same town as one of the restaurants that the new menu was being trialled in back in January so thought I may as well give them a go.

Due to my previous experiences with Pizza Express, I made sure to quiz them on their cross contamination knowledge, and was very impressed. All the staff had been trained on it and were fully aware of the steps that they needed to take to avoid it.

And the food itself... Pretty good! I have never been a massive fan of P.E. pizzas- I have always found them a bit too saucy(!) and this remains the same with the gluten free version. I am however aware that this is not a view shared by all, so if you liked P.E. before you went gluten free, I am sure you'll love it now.

The thing however that wins it for me is the fact that they serve gluten free beer! Bearing in mind how many chains now do gluten free menus (ASK, carluccios, prezzo etc) it actually seems quite rare for them to extend this to their drinks menu. Sure, many drinks are naturally gluten free anyway, but I have missed being able to go out and have a nice cold beer with my meal. So the fact that they do Green's Pilsner makes them a winner in my eyes!

Full gluten free menu can be found here... Pizza Express gluten free menu

Oh, and their gluten free brownie is pretty yummy too. 7/10

A sneak peek at Domino's new gluten free pizza

 

I was very lucky to yesterday get the chance to try out Domino's new gluten free pizza, a couple of weeks before it's official release date of the 19th November, and am happy to say that it is fab!

I must admit, when I first heard that Domino's were going gluten free, I was a tad worried. Having been to Australia, where they have had the gluten free crust for a few years, and seen first hand how they take the gluten free base, and then prepare it on the same 'normal' floured surface as the 'normal' pizzas, I was concerned that here in the UK they would be as lax about cross contamination as their Australian counterparts.

However, their statement regarding cross contamination went a long way to putting me at ease regarding this. They really did seem to be taking it seriously. So I was really excited to actually try the new base. Fast forward to yesterday, when I rang up my local Dominos on the off chance that they would let me try it... and they did!

When it first arrived, I couldn't believe my eyes... literally! I actually could not believe that this was a gluten free pizza... so I made my non gluten free fiance try a bit first (despite not being gluten free, he is always my guinea pig, as he is pretty darn good at detecting if something is gluten free or not!). He tried it and confirmed that it definitely was gluten free and, to be fair, it did look different to his 'normal' pizza. So I tried my first slice.... mmmmmmmm! It's been 3 years since I was diagnosed coeliac, and I was never a massive Dominos fan so can't exactly remember what their normal pizzas taste like but, as far as I can remember, this was pretty damn close! The base was deep-pan and lovely and crisp. And, seeing as most of the toppings are suitable for gluten-free diets anyway (see http://www.takeafreshlook.co.uk/downloads/Ingredients-Allergens-Pizza-BasesToppings.pdf for the full list) I had my usual margherita with pepperoni and pineapple and it was delicious!

However, I was still a bit worried that there may have been some accidental cross contamination, so was concerned that after I'd eaten the pizza (which, by the way, I ate ALL of... no sharing here!) I would have some sort of glutened reaction that evening/today. Since cutting gluten out of my diet I have become very sensitive to it, even cross contaminated foods, and usually have a reaction within a few hours. But, it's 24 hours later and I am pleased to confirm... no reaction!!!

So, overall, massive thumbs up to Dominos. To me, tasted just like how I remember the 'normal' bases to taste, and for me, no reaction! I'm not saying that I'm now going to be having Dominos every night, but it is so good to have another take-away option, that isn't curry! Obviously, every store will be different, so always good to have a chat with your server/the manager to check that they fully understand the cross contamination issue.

Roll on 19th November! 9/10

 

So what is Prezzo's stance on cross contamination?

Nationwide chain Prezzo have recently announced that they do will be jumping on the gluten free train and offering gluten free pizzas! Obviously, fab news... not only does it provide us with more choice but also raises awareness of gluten intolerance/coeliac disease.

BUT... how are they planning on dealing with cross contamination as, if this is not taken seriously, we may as well be eating a 'normal' gluten free pizza! So, I contacted Prezzo to ask for some details regarding this and was impressed with the helpful response I received:

'All of our staff have been trained to make sure that the risk of cross contamination with non gluten free products is as small as possible. All Prezzo kitchens have been supplied with detailed instructions on how to correctly prepare gluten free meals and these are present in the kitchen at all times.

Some of the measures we have in place include removing the bases from their packaging and placing them straight onto a special pan which is used ONLY for gluten free pizzas without touching any other surfaces. We also use special kitchen utensils which are clean and used only for gluten free pizzas.

Only fresh ingredients are used rather than ingredients that may have been in contact with non gluten free products; and, it goes without saying, that all kitchen staff have clean hands before handling and preparing the gluten free pizzas.

Finally, whenever there is a gluten free pizza order, the manager of the restaurant is present in the kitchen to supervise the kitchen staff and ensure they are preparing the pizzas correctly.'

 

So, what do you think? Are you confident in their response? Will you be giving them a go? Let me know!

Dominos are going gluten free! But what about cross contamination?

It has recently been announced that Dominos are going to be introducing a gluten free base. This is fab news as not only does it mean that there is more choice for a gluten free takeaway, but also, any large chain introducing gluten free alternatives on their menu is good as it raises the gluten free profile.

However, do Dominos understand the importance of ensuring that cross contamination does not occur? Whilst it is great that they are introducing this gluten free base, for coeliacs it is not much good if the pizzas are then cross contaminated, for example, by using the same cutting equipment, or preparing on the same surface as the 'normal' pizzas.

With this in mind, I contacted Dominos to ask them how they would be dealing with this, and was impressed with the detail in which they responded:

We have been working on this product with Coeliac UK for a number of years. Our staff are currently being fully trained on the new product ready for its launch in November, to make sure that they understand the controls around handling gluten-free pizzas and ingredients.

We have a range of controlsin place,  which have been thoroughly tested to ensure our gluten-free product is suitable for coeliacs. These include:

· The gluten-free bases are made in dedicated central production facilities.

· Every gluten-free base is stored in a sealed pouch before use. Before opening the base, the team member must wash their hands.

· The gluten-free base is easy to differentiate from our classic crust as it is a slightly different size.

· All of our makeline teams are currently being trained on the correct handling of the product and which toppings contain gluten.

· Toppings which contain gluten will be clearly marked on our website from the product launch date (November 5, 2012) and on our printed menus from January 2013.

· One team member will take ownership of each gluten-free pizza from start to end of the makeline.

· A clean cutter will be used for all gluten-free pizzas.

· Pizza screens will be visually checked to ensure they are clean before a gluten-free base is placed on it. We have carried out extensive testing to prove that any gluten on the screen does not transfer to the gluten-free pizza.

· Within each store, a manager or appointed person will conduct a hot rack check to confirm pizza is on the correct base, correctly topped and boxed before it is sent for delivery.

· The cornflour we use for stretching most of our pizzas is gluten-free. We do not handle wheat flour in any of our stores.

· We will not be using separate ovens for our pizzas – thorough testing has concluded that it does not present a risk in our stores.


Is the product suitable for people who are lactose intolerant?

The gluten-free base is dairy-free.


Is the product suitable for vegans or people allergic to egg?

No, the base contains egg.

What ingredients are in the gluten-free base?

Water, Maize Flour, Rice Flour, Potato Flour, Rapeseed Oil, Sugar, Yeast, Salt, Thickeners: Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose; Vegetable Protein, Vegetable Fibre, Egg White.

So what do you think? Will you be giving them a go? The gluten-free base will be available from Domino’s UK and ROI stores from November 5, 2012. You will be able to order it online, in person or by phone.

Pizza Hut and Prezzo have also announced they are to be introducing gluten free bases... I have contacted them also and will let you know once I have received their response regarding cross contamination.

Curry Garden, Berkhamsted

Before going gluten-free, this curry house was always my absolute favourite. After being diagnosed with coeliac, I was a little apprehensive... in terms of take-aways, chinese was a no-no, pizza was definitely off the cards and (before I knew about places like Deep Blue) fish and chips was also out the window. I was therefore a bit worried that my absolute favourite take away, Indian, was going to be a thing of the past as well. However, I need not have worried...

Indian cuisine is probably one of the most naturally gluten free out there. Having spoken to the staff at the Curry Garden, they confirmed that the curries and rices were fine, as were the poppadoms. In fact, the only item that I have had to sacrifice from my old favourites was the naan bread (as well as a few other side dishes), which, to be honest, I did not really mind... I always used to order too much anyway!

In terms of the food at the Curry Garden, it is delicious!!! You can't really go wrong with a good old curry, but this place proves you can go very very right! And the staff are absolutely lovely... more often than not, offering you a cheeky shot before you leave as well!

With most other takeaway options being a no go for gluten-freers, it's fab that you can rely on a delicious Indian, and I believe this place to be one of the best in the local area. 9.5/10

Check it out here: http://www.currygardenberkhamsted.co.uk/index.html

Rainbow Cafe, Cambridge

If you are ever a bit further afield than Hertfordshire and find yourself in Cambridge, why not check out the Rainbow Cafe?

It's a lovely little restaurant that not only caters for gluten-freers, but also vegans and is completely vegetarian. As I have mentioned before, my Mum is a veggie coeliac so it is always great to find somewhere that can cater for gluten free veggies, and she loves this place (as does my non-coeliac, meat eating Dad!).  My parents actually visited this restaurant for lunch today and you can see pics of their delicious food below. And, not only do they do gluten free mains, they also provide gluten free puddings as well! I always find that in many restaurants, the gluten free pudding choice is often restricted to ice-cream or fruit salad, so it is great that this is not the case here.

 

The Latvian Potato Bake is one of the restaurant's most popular dishes, and you can see why. The topping on the beautifully seasoned veggie filling (potatoes, mushrooms, carrots, garlic & herbs) is lovely and crunchy (made of cheese and gluten free breadcrumbs).

 

 

 

Tagine L'Algerienne (roasted sweet potatoes, aubergines and whole roasted carrot chunks, slow cooked in a rich North African tomato casserole, with rice and green lentils).

 

Lemon and Walnut Treacle Tart.

You can check out their website here: http://www.rainbowcafe.co.uk/

Lovely, friendly veggie restaurant, great for the veggie gluten freers who so often get forgotten: 9.5/10 (sorry it's not a 10 Mum... I'm as stingy with my 10s as Craig Revel Horwood!)