Tag Archives: coeliac

The Chancel

24 Mar

My wife and I celebrated our ten year wedding anniversary earlier this month.  I can’t believe it’s been 10 years and she is truly lucky to have me, no wait, that should be the other way round!  We had decided to head out for a meal in Plymouth to mark the occasion, and thought we would head somewhere new for a change.

I’d recently heard good things about The Chancel from Facebook follower Sharon Lewis-King so I emailed them to check their gluten free options.  I had a call back to say they offered gluten free bread, pasta and even pizza in addition to much of the menu being naturally gluten free.  They did warn me that they had a very small kitchen and they did prepare gluten containing dishes, but were able to give me enough confidence that they would take cross contamination seriously.

We arrived at the restaurant in St Andrews Street and when we were seated at our table we found an anniversary card waiting for us, a lovely touch which was much appreciated.  The staff were extremely friendly and immediately came over to discuss the gluten free options with me and the vegetarian options with Abby, without us needing to ask.  Abby was told that if there was something she fancied and she could see the ingredients on the menu they would do their best to make it for her.

Chancel_soupThe option of bruschetta to start was extremely tempting, but we had walked from home on a cold night so we both decided to go for some warming tomato and basil soup to start.  This was extremely tasty and we both loved it, and as you can see from the photo mine came with some extremely impressive looking gluten free bread.  The bread looked so impressive, that I immediately had one of those “is that really gluten free” moments.  However, the waitress had stated it was GF on bringing it to the table and it was suitably different to Abby’s Tiger bread to put me at ease.  The bread was good and overall this was a very impressive starter and perfect for the cold occasion.  The portion size was generous too.

For the main course, I decided to go with one of the naturally gluten free Chancel_steakdishes rather than gluten free pasta or pizza.  I decided to go with my favourite fillet steak, and was extremely happy to be told all the steak sauces were already gluten free.  This meant I could have peppered sauce, something I love and a rare treat!  The only downside was that the chips were not gluten free.  Again I was told this without needing to ask, and received new potatoes as a substitute.  Another enjoyable course, though I have to say the steak was not quite as tender as I usually expect of a fillet, but enjoyable none the less.  I definitely enjoyed being able to have the steak sauce for a change too.

Chancel_dessertFor dessert I was given a choice of creme brulee, or surprisingly sticky toffee pudding.  I am a big fan of creme brulee and was too full for (and maybe slightly wary of) sticky toffee pudding.  The creme brulee was creamy and delicious as you would expect, and a nice light dessert to finish off the meal.

The overall bill was quite expensive, but this was mainly down to myself and Abby making the most of some of the delicious wines that were on offer.  I am not really a wine drinker, but the pinot grigio went down a treat.  Overall we were very well looked after, the food was good and there was plenty of gluten free choice.  I suffered no ill effects so they managed to prevent any cross contamination in their small kitchen with no problems.  I would definitely go back for another meal, and it’s great to be able to add another restaurant to the gluten free friendly list.  Thanks to Sharon for the recommendation.

Kevin, Gluten Free by the Sea

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Seabrook’s to Restore Gluten Free Labelling

21 Mar

Long term readers of this blog may remember that back in October I wrote about Seabrook’s crisps.  Since I was diagnosed with coeliac disease these lovely crisps had been a great snack as they were easily available, labelled gluten free and very tasty.  A great addition to my packed lunch until last year they removed the gluten free labelling from their packs due to legislation changes.  You can read about the history and discussions on this subject here.

Since then I have survived on Burt’s crisps (from Devon) and also the coeliac favourite Pom Bears.  However, I was extremely excited to receive an email today from Emma at Seabrook whom I’d been speaking to previously.  In my last communication with Emma she had informed me that due to customer feedback they were reviewing the decision to remove the gluten free label.  Today she informed me that Seabrook had received gluten free certification and their entire range was now going to be gluten free and carry the crossed grain symbol!

Prawn Cocktail

I have to say a huge well done to Seabrook for listening to customer feedback and not only reinstating the gluten free labelling, but making the rest of their range gluten free (not all flavours were even previously) and going that extra mile to get Coeliac UK certification.  Also, another massive well done to the coeliac and gluten free community to getting the message across.  This just shows that there are companies out there willing to listen, and we are not always wasting our time by trying to encourage companies to give us gluten free options or clarify their labelling.

Seabrook Crisps marketing director Kevin Butterworth said: “Seabrook Crisps has always had gluten-free ingredients but we know that gaining Coeliac UK’s Crossed Grain symbol provides peace of mind to those with coeliac disease and we’re really proud to be able to offer them more choice.”

I am extremely happy that I can add these crisps back into my diet with confidence again, and that those on a gluten free diet will have a greater choice of crisps when the packaging changes in April.  You can read the full press release from Seabrook here.

I have asked Seabrook if they can provide me with an up to date allergen list for their products in the new range, and I will update this post with that information as soon as I receive it.

Update 26/03/2013: Seabrook have now provided me with an updated allergen list, reflecting the new April packs.  Correct as of 26/03/13.  You can view this here.

Kevin, Gluten Free by the Sea

Tags: , , , , , ,

Eggbuckland Fish and Chip Shop

19 Mar

Update 31/08/14: Unfortunately Eggbuckland Fish and Chip Shop is now under new ownership and is no longer serving gluten free.  See Kingfisher Fish and Chip Shop review for an alternative option.

Gluten Free by the Sea recently brought you news that Eggbuckland Fish and Chip shop in Plymouth were having a gluten free night the first Monday of every month.  It was pleasing to see owner Johanna Haimes had received training from Coeliac UK and that the fryers would be completely steam cleaned, fresh oil used and only gluten free items cooked on the night.  For more information see their press release.  With confidence I made the trip to Eggbuckland village to try it out.

EggbucklandChipShop

When I arrived I could only just fit in the shop, it was extremely busy which was great to see.  It was immediately apparent that there was a really lovely atmosphere within the shop.  Staff and customers were exchanging stories about their excitement to tuck in to gluten free fish and chips.  There was a young coeliac child who was about to have fish and chips for the first time, heart-warming.

It was good to see Coeliac UK literature and certification, along with labelling from the gluten free products used on display in the shop, and this certainly added to my confidence.  The choices were chips, battered fish, battered sausage, gravy and curry sauce.  Johanna is looking to expand this range and is planning to add mushy peas, chicken and chicken nuggets to the menu for the next gluten free night on Easter Monday (open as normal).

It was personally quite a nostalgic trip for me.  Not only was this my first trip to a chippy since my coeliac journey began nearly two years ago, but I was brought up in Eggbuckland so this was my local chippy as a youngster.  This was my first trip back since I moved away from Eggbuckland over ten years ago.

I don’t eat fish, so I was very pleased to see the battered sausage on the menu.  I ordered a large portion of chips and a battered sausage, with a side of curry sauce.  I rushed home to dish up, and as I did I looked at the portion and thought that I’d never be able to eat it all.  Truth be told I demolished the whole thing, probably without even stopping for breath.  The sausage was tasty, the batter was light and crispy and very impressive.  It was so good to have “proper” chips from a chippy again, I loved it!  I am away on Easter Monday, but will definitely be going back for more.

GFChips

The evening itself was a great success, Johanna said “I was very surprised at the amount of children that came. It’s very sad that it has such an effect on the whole family.  We were very happy that the hard work and research gave people with gluten intolerance the chance to enjoy something that most of us take for granted.”  For some more quotes from Johanna on the night see this report from The Herald.

The chip shop are investigating an option to supply meals boxed with a knife and fork as many gluten free customers had travelled some distance to try this.  Johanna is keen to hear feedback, and suggestions for other products that you would like offered.  You can contact her via email at johannahaimes@yahoo.co.uk

There were some lovely comments on the Gluten Free by the Sea Facebook page after the event, so I’d like to leave you with a few of those:

I enjoyed my cod and chips too. Haven’t been near a chip shop since I got diagnosed in 2010 and tonight was a taste sensation for me thank you Eggbuckland Chip Shop – Louise Williams

Would like to say a big THANK YOU to Eggbuckland fish and chip shop for the lovely gluten free fish, chips and curry sauce both myself and my 4 year old daughter was both very happy girlies after it was very yummy and my daughters little smiley face was all worth it…roll on the first Monday in April where we will deaf be back again – Stacey Willcocks

Finally, a big thank you from me.  I really enjoyed my meal and am looking forward to the next time.  Thanks for putting these nights on, evening like this really make a difference.

Kevin, Gluten Free by the Sea

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →