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Plymouth Coeliac Group Meeting

3 Nov

As some of you may know, I now serve on the committee of the Coeliac UK Plymouth Voluntary Support Group acting as Database and Membership Secretary.  The new committee have been busy planning their first member meeting which will take place at the Elm Community Centre, in Estover, on November 16th.  The new committee will introduce themselves to members followed by  a discussion on the future path of the group.  This will be followed by a tea break with some gluten free cakes and biscuits which provides a good opportunity to chat to fellow coeliacs.  There will also be a raffle with a chance to win some really great prizes.  We have also secured some free samples from the brilliant Perkier Foods for members and also some gluten free certified sweets from Petty Wood.

Following the meeting there will be a craft fair where there will be a chance to do some early Christmas shopping.  Not only will there be a craft stall, but there will be a chance to buy some fabulous gluten free products from Traditional Puddings, Clare’s Gluten Free Catering and Love Free From.  Non members will be more than welcome to pop in to food and craft fair.

I really hope to see lots of Gluten Free by the Sea readers there on the 16th!  For full details of the meeting, see the invite below which has been sent out to Plymouth members.

Kevin, Gluten Free by the Sea

Plymouth

The new committee invite you to join us at the ELM Centre, ASDA Plymouth, for a short meeting in which we can introduce ourselves and advise on what we are doing going forward. This will be followed by an open forum where we will seek feedback from members as to what you would like to see from the group.  This is your opportunity to shape the future of the group.  For new members we will be available to give help with such things as prescriptions and best places to purchase gluten free products.  Committee member Suzanne Stephenson will be available to give advice to parents of coeliac children.

After the short meeting a Craft Fair will be opened.  This will give you the opportunity for some Christmas shopping at an event which will help raise funds for the group.  There will be many different craft stalls for you to browse and buy from.  Gluten Free food stalls will also be part of the fair, with Traditional Puddings, Clare’s Gluten Free Catering and Love Free From set to offer their delicious gluten free products for sale.  We are organising a Raffle with some excellent prizes such as a Hamper donated by Ilumi, a fish and chip voucher donated by Eggbuckland Fish and Chip Shop, and many other excellent prizes.

In the Elm Centre we will have use of the excellent kitchen facilities, were Tea’s, coffees, biscuits and cakes will be available.  For all you bakers out there, we welcome you to bake and share with other members.  There will be a £1 voluntary entrance fee to the meeting and members are also encouraged to bring unwanted prescription items for new members.

We are looking forward to seeing you on the 16th Nov 2013. Doors will open at 1pm with the meeting starting at 1:30pm. The food and craft fair will then run until 4pm. We sincerely hope you can attend, and trust you will have a great time.

Programme:

  • Introduction of the new committee members and update on progress and future plans
  • Open forum to get member input on the future plans of the group and future meetings and events
  • Tea/coffee break with cakes and biscuits
  • Raffle draw
  • Opening of the Craft and Food fair

Directions/Parking:

For any of you who do not know were the ELM Centre is, it is located in Estover Plymouth adjacent to the ASDA Store.  If at the ASDA main entrance, turn right down the steps and the centre is at the far end of the courtyard.  Full address is Leypark Court, Leypark Walk, Plymouth PL6 8UE.  There is some community centre parking, otherwise you can park in the overflow ASDA car park for 3 hours.

There are regular bus routes to the ASDA store, the number 50 City Bus from Derriford of you can catch the 27 or 27a if travelling from the City Centre.

For location and directions via Google maps please see link below. To get directions, click the link, press “Get Directions” on the left, enter your start point in the box marked A and then click the blue “Get Directions” button: https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=50.4094,-4.095402&hl=en&sll=52.8382,-2.327815&sspn=10.853098,19.753418&t=m&z=16

Yours Faithfully

The Plymouth Coeliac Group Committee

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‘Free From’ Traders Required for Christmas Food Fair

16 Sep

I am excited to announce that Gluten Free by the Sea is collaborating with Helen Jones of Simply Moorish, who will be holding a Christmas ‘Free From’ Food Fair at Ivybridge Community Market on Saturday 7th December.  Fellow collaborators Love Lactose Free Life and Plymouth Greengrocer will be selling their ranges of gluten and dairy free products as well as Helen on the day.

Helen is now working hard to attract more ‘free from’ exhibitors to the event and the communication below has gone out to potential traders today.  I hope to see lots of friends of Gluten Free by the Sea at the event, both buying and selling!  Please pass this on to anyone who you think would be interested in having a pitch at the event.  More details to come as they are finalised.

Kevin, Gluten Free by the Sea

IvybridgePosterNew6

Information from Helen Jones:

Dear All,

Ivybridge Community Market are pleased to announce that we shall be holding a Free From Food Fair on Saturday 7th December 9.30 – 2pm and take this opportunity of inviting you to attend to trade at this great event. With keen support and collaboration with Gluten Free by The Sea, Love Lactose Free Life & Plymouth Greengrocers.

With the build up to Christmas, this will be a great opportunity for the sale of your usual products, themed products and free from gifts.

This is a great opportunity for all ‘Free From’ food producers to showcase their products in Ivybridge and its surrounding community and we welcome you to invite additional traders that are not on list whom you may feel appropriate to trade at this event.

Please find attached a copy of the poster being used to advertise this event and wherever possible kindly use such to advertise the event in your local area, online or via social media.

We have a visible presence on Twitter @ivycommarket and Facebook please feel free to link this into any social networking you may use to promote the event.

Please also find attached a copy of the terms and conditions for trading with a booking form for you to complete. Kindly return this via email to simplymoorish@yahoo.co.uk or via post to FAO. Ivybridge Community Market Management Team, Home from Home Community Hub, Unit 3 Glanvilles Mill, Ivybridge, PL21 9TH.

The price per pitch is £15.00 with an additional £5 per pitch should you require power. There are electrical points however, you will need to supply your own extensions and rubber matting if needed.

The main area for use for the market is outdoors and we hold ten 3 x 3 gazebos which will be allocated on a first come first serve basis. Additional cover can be provided under the walkway. If you do have your own gazebo cover please feel free to utilise this.

We would greatly appreciate your prompt response in booking your trade spots. The cut off date for bookings is Saturday 30th November 2013.

If you have any questions, which are not covered within the attached documentation, please do not hesitate to make contact with me email.

I look forward to receiving your booking forms and hope that you will embrace and reap the rewards of bringing your products into the local community.

Terms and conditions and booking
Poster download

Helen Jones

Proprietor
Simply Moorish
www.simplymoorish.vpweb.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/SIMPLYMOORISH
https://twitter.com/simplymoorish
.

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Le Bistrot Pierre Review

16 Jun

I have been extremely keen to try out the Plymouth Branch of Le Bistrot Pierre since it opened at Royal William Yard recently.  The Plymouth restaurant is one of only ten branches in the country, and they prefer to call themselves a “family of individual restaurants” rather than a chain.  I’m unsure how many restaurants constitute being a chain, but we are clearly not talking about McDonald’s here.  Le Bistrot Pierre serve a range of French cuisine, and the good news for coeliacs and those following a gluten free diet is that they have a dedicated gluten free menu.  It’s good to see that their website also clearly states that they have been working closely with Coeliac UK.

The Royal William Yard is becoming something of a gluten free hot spot.  Le Bistrot Pierre is joined by Rover Cottage, Las Iguanas and Prezzo which all have gluten free offerings.  Friends of Gluten Free by the Sea Plymouth Greengrocer and Let Them Eat Cake can also be regularly found at the Sunday Good Food Markets.

MenuI’d heard good things about the food from several people, and when I was looking for somewhere to go out with my dad for lunch this week it seemed a perfect opportunity to give Le Bistrot Pierre a try.  There is a dedicated lunch menu, offering two courses for £10.50 and three courses for a bargain £12.50.  Evening meal prices whilst much more expensive are still reasonable in my opinion.

So on arrival at the restaurant we were seated and I was promptly presented with the gluten free menu.  I had a quick snoop at my dad’s menu to see what I was missing and the good news was that it was hardly anything!  The standard menu had a burger option and a few extra desserts and that was pretty much it.  Whilst we were pondering the menu some bread was delivered to the table.  I asked the waitress if it was gluten free and she informed it was not, and promptly went off to fetch some.  This was toasted and arrived a little while later with the starter.

SoupTo start I went for the soup of the day, which was carrot and coriander, which was served with gluten free bread.  There was a 95p supplement for this which was my sole niggle of the day, though the overall value of the meal was fantastic so I couldn’t really complain.  Le Bistrot Pierre have confirmed the bread is toasted under a grill in a clean tray to avoid contamination.  The soup was lovely and the bread was pretty good too, a decent start to the meal.  Dad went for a crayfish risotto which was also on the gluten free menu.

For the main course I decided to have pan-fried chicken breast with
creamed leeks, thyme and Parmesan.  There was a choice of fries, vegetables or a side salad with this.  I went for the fries as I find it is always hard to say no when given the chance of chips as a coeliac!  The chicken was cooked perfectly and had the skin on to enhance the flavour.  The sauce was excellent too and I really enjoyed the dish.  Meanwhile dad had gone for slow-braised Scottish pasture fed beef with shallots and Dijon mustard sauce (also available on the GF menu).  Whilst my main was great, I have to say I was suffering from a bit of food envy as dad’s braised beef looked amazing, as did the seasonal veg that he had chosen rather than the fries.

ChickenBeef

DessertWe pondered whether to have a dessert but it was only going to be an extra £2 each for another course so it seemed rude not to, and as dad pointed out I have readers to think about!  I kept it light and went for the hazelnut and chocolate mousse with crispy meringue and honeycomb.  This had a great rich chocolate flavour and the crunch of the meringue and honeycomb provided a nice contrast to the texture of the mousse.  I won’t tease you with a description of dad’s gluten filled finale, but suffice to say he did not struggle to polish it off!

We both really enjoyed the meal.  The service was great, the restaurant was nicely decorated and the Royal William Yard really is a great setting.  For £12.50 each we were both thoroughly impressed with all aspects of the meal, and this really was fantastic value.  We’ll definitely be going back in future.  If you live in Plymouth or any of the other locations that have a Le Bistrot Pierre, I can thoroughly recommend you give it a try.

Kevin, Gluten Free by the Sea

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