Who's ready?

I've had a little think about reviving this blog, as the more I go about my daily coeliac life in this here Great Britain the more I think it might just help out others like me. This may or may not have been shortly after I was asked whether I could eat potatoes for roughly the 7,392th time. So, coming as soon as I can manage, will be all the posts I wished I'd written but somehow never found the time.

It will be mostly restaurant reviews, but who knows what else I'll throw in there.

I hope it helps someone who needs to eat gluten free... That would make me very happy!

-Rachel

Review: Plum + Spilt Milk

Final Marks: 4 out of 5

In January I went for a meal at Plum + Spilt Milk, a new restaurant in the refurbished Kings Cross station. I went with work, which always makes me apprehensive as it means I am powerless to influence the choice of restaurant and sometimes it’s difficult to be asking questions about the menu in a large group.

We went for what I think must be their 45 minute gourmet express menu, as we had a limited choice of 3 dishes per course rather than the full menu. Again this gave me a little cause for concern, as often there’s very little choice for me even with a full menu.

However my fears were allayed by this lovely restaurant. We had an incredibly friendly and attentive waitress who made sure all our needs were catered for, and gave good advice for a choice of wine. She seemed genuinely concerned for our welfare, which does make a change. I was also pleasantly surprised to be informed that most of the options were already, or could be, gluten free. Result!

For my starter I had the creamed smoked haddock and poached hen’s egg which came straight from the oven, baked in a white sauce. It was absolutely delicious and I’m trying to devise a recipe of my own so I can eat it at home. For my main course I had pork chop with Bramley apple sauce, which is the only course I managed to get a picture of. It was a decent sized helping without being too heavy, and all cooked very well.

Now we get to pudding, my favourite course of the meal by and large. Here something strange has happened – I have completely forgotten what I had. The passage of time and perhaps the excellently chosen wine I had have clouded my memory such that it is now a blur. However, one thing I do know is that I was pleasantly surprised by being able to eat it and that it was excellent. Which means it probably involved chocolate.

Overall I’d highly recommend this restaurant. The setting is very pleasant and the service is excellent. The express meal is quite good value and this would be a great place to treat yourself before or after a long journey.

I've given this a 4 because they weren't as prepared for gluten free diners as some other places I have been to, and because the price point is slightly on the high side especially if you stick to the all day menu.

Review: Pizza Hut

Location: All across the UK and across 5 continents

Style: Chain pizza (I think that's a style in itself)

Budget: A meal can be around £10 if you don't try too hard to budget, or less if you have a coupon, of which there are usually plenty around. Prices are not inflated for gluten free products.

Gluten Free options:.A gluten free pizza base is available, and gluten free diners have full choice of all toppings and sauces*. They seem to have good kitchen practices for avoiding cross contamination. The launch was in consultation with Coeliac UK so I feel reassured that they have been given the best guidelines possible. You are served on a different type of plate with your own cutting wheel, the pizza itself is square to avoid confusion, and I think the pizzas are cooked on different trays and made in a separate part of the kitchen. There is also a salad bar with some gluten free options in it, although not all are and they are not all marked. There is ice cream which is gluten free for dessert, if you still have room.

What I ate: A gluten free pizza with extra cheese, bacon and sweetcorn. Having been a couple if times now (ahem), I find that they can sometimes come up a bit short with the cheese. I am a cheeseaholic so I like to order extra, just to be sure. I also find that sometimes, with their own pizza topping options, the ratio of topping to base to sauce sometimes isn't quite right (too much topping/not enough sauce/not enough base) so I like to make my own.

The pizza itself is pretty good. I mean, it won't win any culinary awards but I personally like it a lot. The base is thin but squidgy, the sauce and toppings are tasty, and they have all the usual options. The food arrives hot and all in all it's pretty tasty.

Service: Generally decent, although due to the fact that it's a huge chain, naturally it varies.

Good things: Pizza Hut were one of the first big chain restaurants to start offering gluten free bases back in late 2012/early 2013. 

Top Tips: Choose your own toppings for the pizza, look out for voucher codes, and book ahead if it's a busy day. I'd also call ahead just to double check whether they have gluten free bases in stock, as they have been known to run out before.

Areas for improvement: There is only one size of pizza available and, whilst it’s perfectly big enough for me and I usually have leftovers to take home, it may not be big enough for everyone. You can’t go for the buffet, which is usually the best value and most interesting option, as there are no gluten free pizzas on the buffet (which I'm very glad about – can you imagine the cross-contamination?!). I personally wouldn't risk the salad bar either, for the same reasons. If you arrive at the start of the day then perhaps you might be able to select the gluten free salad options without worrying about stray bits of croûton, but you’d be a braver person than I. Also, hardly any of the starters/sides are gluten free

Final score: I'm giving this a 3 out of 5 because whilst it has a good selection of gluten free items and is good value, arguably some of the the best bits of the restaurant are off limits (the buffet, the salad bar). Also, whilst I personally really like the pizza and the type of base, it won't appeal to everyone especially if you like a more "authentic" thin and crispy base. 

*Just checking the allergy information sheet and some toppings are marked as a risk of cross contamination from the supply chain. These are not marked on the main menu, which I think they should be.

The River Cottage Gluten Free Cookery Course

For Christmas this year I was given a place on the Gluten Free Cookery course at the River Cottage in Devon. I'm booked on this Sunday the 9th and I couldn't be more excited! We are heading down on Saturday as my parents-in-law live not too far away, so we get to see them as well.

This was booked such a long time ago that I'd almost forgotten it was coming up.... almost. I have managed to do a little bit of research into what we'll be making though, and I'm pretty excited about a couple of things on the sylllabus (I'm going to call it that; how grand), particularly the sourdough bread, and Pissaladiere tart, whatever that may be. We will also cover muffins, brownies, and buckwheat pancakes. I make brownies almost weekly in our house and muffins less regularly, so I'm looking forward to learning a new slant on an old favourite. I'm also looking forward to seeing how they make thier buckwheat pancakes and whether or not they'll be similar to the gorgeous gallettes de sarrasin we had in France when we visited last. There will also be sessions on gluten free eating and nutrition in general, different flours and how they work, and so forth. I will also get a gluten free lunch included.

I'm really looking forward to it, and as a keen baker, I know I will use the recipes time and time again. I do hope they give us the recipes to take away but I make take a note pad just in case.... I will try to take as many photos as I can during the course and will post about it after the weekend.

Wish me luck!

Review: Le Bistrot Pierre

Location: This is a small chain of about 11 restaurants spread across the country, but mostly focused around the Midlands

Style: French although probably slightly Anglicised

Budget: 3 courses and drinks for about £25 a head; often lunch offers on

The menu: A separate gluten free menu is always provided and it’s pretty extensive.

What I ate: Mini chorizos in honey for an aperitif, which were amazing as ever. I always have these, come rain or shine, as they are one of the best things on the menu. I then had the haddock risotto for my starter, which had little bits of leek in and the rice was slightly crunchy and delicious. It was a little on the filling side, though. For my main course, I chose the minute steak as the French do these like nobody else. It wasn't quite as authentic as those I have had in France but it was tasty nonetheless and the cut was of reasonable quality. No shoe leather here. For pudding I went for the chocolate mousse with meringue pieces, which came with some unannounced extras – firstly a huge dollop of cream on top which I’d have rather not had, and secondly it was actually a chocolate orange mousse which perhaps they ought to have told me first. Luckily I like chocolate orange things but others may not be so lucky! This is a minor point though and I'm being picky. It was tasty and big helping, which was very, very solid, so I couldn't finish it. They also provided gluten free bread on the side just after my starter for no extra cost.

Service: Pretty good, a little variable – sometimes too keen, sometimes absent.

Good things: the menu is great for coeliacs as there is plenty of choice. The wait staff are not surprised by gluten free requests and are pretty knowledgeable about the issue. It’s pretty good value and a relaxed ambiance which is perfect for catching up with friends or bringing the whole family

Top Tips: The mini chorizos are to die for. Ask for gluten free bread if you want it; sometimes they forget. The lunchtime offers are generally good and they do a Sunday Roast on a Sunday.

Areas for improvement: the menu has been the same for quite some time now. It’s a good menu, don’t get me wrong, but some variation would be nice.

Final score: 4.5 out of 5. Only marked down slightly because the menu is pretty static and I feel I’ve almost exhausted it. Other than that, it’s brilliant.