Tag Archives: dairy free

‘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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ilumi Review

28 Jul

I must admit I don’t really like to review national brands on this blog.  I generally think there are plenty of others out there that are doing a fine job at it, and try and keep Gluten Free by the Sea locally focused in the main.  There have been a lot of reviews of the ilumi World products within the gluten free blogging network recently, so I nearly didn’t write this post.  Nearly.  But then I looked at my kitchen cupboard which can barely close as it is now stuffed so full with ilumi goodies and I felt how could I not write about them?

keralaI first heard of ilumi and their gluten, dairy and nut free products through the Coeliac UK Crossed Grain Magazine, where members were invited to register for a free sample.  Well I love curry so I wasn’t going to say no to a free one!  My sample of Kerala Chicken Curry duly arrived, and before trying it there were mixed first impressions.  A product containing meat that comes in a pouch, doesn’t need to be refrigerated, can be microwaved in two minutes and has a shelf life of a year.  It’s fair to say I was skeptical.  On the plus side though I really liked the product branding and the fact the ingredients list was there big and bold on the front as clear as it could be.  I quickly noted that the ingredients list was all natural with no weird nasties in.

So on to the taste test.  I heated my curry up in the microware, and served with my favourite microware Tilda rice (also labelled gluten free).  I have to say I was really impressed.  The thing that stood out for me was the tenderness of the chicken.  Reading the ilumi FAQ page it’s good to see that all meat used is British, with the exception being pancetta which is sourced from it’s native Italy.  The chicken used is also free range.  Regarding my concern of lack over refrigeration, ilumi have this to say “We combine the recipe ingredients in individual pouches or trays, seal them and then gently heat them using high pressure and steam until they are cooked. This keeps all of the flavours, aromas and goodness inside and protects them from any contamination by spoilage bacteria.”  The Kerala sauce was tasty rather than spicy, it was really nice, though from a personal point of view a bit more spice wouldn’t have done any harm.

samplesA further free sample came at the Allergy Show in the form of delicious Spanish Rice and Vegetables and I was then fortunate enough to be offered some blogger samples.  The samples were all of equally great quality and my initial skepticism was now long gone.  Being more or less flat and without the need to refrigerate the pouches are really easy to store.  Then the offers started, my addiction had begun.  The fine folk at ilmui were offering an introductory offer of £10 off a £20 order with free shipping last month.  I ended up ordering twice.

cupboardStill at least that would see me stocked up for ages wouldn’t it, I wouldn’t have to order for a long time?  They then ran another offer.  Two free packs of Thai Red Curry, two packs of rice and two bottles of (my favourite) Celia Lager when you spend over £25?  OK just one more order then.  That’s how my cupboards got to look like this.

For those of you after an offer yourselves, their current offer (until 30th July) is: Spend £20, get £5 off, plus: 2x free cooking sauces, 1x free CELIA Lager, free summer recipe booklet & free UK delivery.  My cupboards simply can’t take anymore though!  You can see a full list of products, which are only available online, here.

So far I’ve tried a whole range of products, and I would probably bore you all to death by reviewing each one, so here are a few of my top picks:

meatballsBeef Meatballs in Tomato Sauce: One thing I’ve really struggled to easily find since being diagnosed with coeliac disease is meatballs.  I served these with some gluten free spaghetti and topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper.  Delicious!

Slow-Cooked Lamb Casserole: As well as the pouches, ilumi also have a range of complete meals that come in a tray.  This lamb casserole was really tasty.  I love the way the juices of the meat are retained in the tray/pouch due to the cooking method, I really think it keeps all the flavour in.  Lamb is one of my favourite meats and this was a very hearty meal with the potatoes and veg.

casserole_packagelamb_casserole

Lamb Rogan Josh: As I say I love a curry and this one was even tastier than the Chicken Kerala for me.  Again not too spicy but great flavour and lovely tender meat as before.  Serve with rice and a great meal in a couple of minutes.

Pea, Pancetta & Mint Soup: ilumi also do a range of soups and I’ve always been a fan of pea and ham soup so this one immediately appealed.  I wasn’t disappointed, as this had a great depth of flavour and lovely tender pieces of pancetta.  I served with a few slices of crusty bread that I got from St Maurice Bakery which was a perfect accompanyment.

chicken_CacciatoraChicken Cacciatora: Another flavourful dish with juicy tender pieces of meat.  A hit with me again and this dish had a nice hint of garlic which is always good with me.  I served with rice.

In addition to the meal pouches, soups and trays meals ilumi also sell cooking sauces and rice packs.  I’ve tried a few of the cooking sauces and whist they’ve been tasty, I think this is something I’m less likely to buy online.  The rice packs were perfectly fine but I must admit I preferred the Tilda ones as they were a bit more flavourful and a little bigger.  Tilda are also frequently on offer at my local Sainsburys so I often stock up when they are.

Sweet Chilli Stir Fry Sauce put to good use

Sweet Chilli Stir Fry Sauce put to good use

Tom Kha Gai (Thai Chicken Soup)

Tom Kha Gai (Thai Chicken Soup)

In conclusion, I think that ilumi is a great addition to the free from market.  I think pricing is pretty reasonable based on the quality of the product, and if you take advantage of the stream of offers they have been running then they become very good value indeed.  The products use naturally gluten free ingredients so no need for any weird and wonderful ingredients, but with a confidence that all dishes are gluten, dairy and nut free.  With no need to refrigerate these can be great for taking to friends houses, away on holiday or to work for a nice hot lunch come the winter.  Also a great quick option when you’re cooking for one as I often am.

Thai Red Curry served with Tilda sweet chilli rice

Thai Red Curry served with Tilda sweet chilli rice

Will see fellow addicts at an ilumi anonymous meeting soon.

Kevin, Gluten Free by the Sea

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Let Them Eat Cake

15 Jan

Back in November I was having a little grumble about Terry’s Chocolate Orange, and it’s lack of suitability for coeliacs.  I received a comment on the blog post from Lisa Hackett of Let Them Eat Cake suggesting that she could offer me a chocolate orange fix in the form of her Jaffa Slice.  In December I popped down to the Christmas food fair at Royal William Yard to meet Lisa and try her products for myself.  I found out Lisa is gluten free herself due to suffering from Crohn’s disease.  Lisa sent me her story of why she started Let Them Eat Cake, I really enjoyed reading it and she was kind enough to let me share it with you:

LTEC-Lisa

“After being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease I had to undergo a period of trial and error to establish what triggers my symptoms. As I have had to cut many foods out of my diet that I had previously considered to be daily staples I wasn’t really left with much to enjoy. For months I had a very plain and dull diet. Then I started researching Crohn’s and Coeliac websites for dietary help,  I experimented with the few food stuffs I had left to enjoy and after a lot of trial and error I found ways of increasing my choice of foods. I could now eat cakes, bread, pastry and even Yorkshire puddings. Wow.  What I didn’t expect was the reaction from friends and family who also sampled these items and wanted more. Had I cracked the ultimate dream, to make gluten free products that the whole family can enjoy? I had been really upset on my birthday to receive my dried out, tasteless, shop bought ‘special’ cake whilst the rest of my friends enjoyed the selection of luscious ‘normal’ cakes that they had baked for themselves and that I couldn’t share. I realised then the isolation of my illness. It only got worse when we tried to go out for a meal, even my friends got to the point of thinking I was just being fussy. One waiter even jumped back in shock when I said I suffer from Crohn’s Disease, I think he thought it was contagious! I decided if I was feeling isolated and alone by my illness then others must be in the same boat, especially as many of the ‘free from’ foods really aren’t that great and the local people that do make gluten free products do it in a kitchen where they use wheat flour the rest of the time so the cross contamination risk is high. I therefore felt it was time to create a dedicated gluten free kitchen.

I did my first market in late October 2012, only supplying cakes, the feedback was so spectacular I was blown away by the response to my cakes. It became apparent that many people need to have both gluten and dairy free diet. As none of my cakes at that time had fat in them they where by default dairy free too. I now have introduced items such as Bakewell slice that has the traditional pastry bottom, but as I now have found a good quality dairy replacement these too are both gluten and dairy free. The cakes are made to my secret recipes that I have worked out for myself. Many of them are made using vegetable such as Beetroot, Aubergine, Squash, Carrot and even potatoes. The natural sweetness in the vegetables means that I do not need to load the cakes with sugar, some of them are totally sugar free. Some are made with honey, I keep my own bees so can use my honey from my garden to sweeten my cakes. I live in the Tamar valley so the fruit and vegetables that I use are local and organic, we even have locally grown Peaches. With the exception of my Christmas lines my cakes are great for those watching the weight, my cakes range between 90 and 180 calories per generous portion (Cornish Housewife Portions!) tee hee hee 🙂 Whilst i have been out selling my cakes it became crystal clear that there is also a need for savoury items so I have now introduced savouries into the range. In the New Year I will also be bringing Scones, Cookies and Biscuits into the range. I am also developing a Catering Service, doing Gluten and Dairy Free buffets for Weddings, Christenings, Parties.”

LTEC-Pasty

So gluten free, dairy free cake that’s low in calorie, could this really taste good?  I tasted some samples of cake at the food fair and the answer was yes!  The vegetable content of the cake not only makes them low calorie, but extremely moist and flavourful.  I purchased a pasty (of course!), the previously mentioned Jaffa Slice and a Bakewell Slice to take home.

LTEC-Bakewell

The Jaffa Slice was a delicious, moist orange cake topped with chocolate, which I demolished so fast I forgot to photograph.  I can see why this is so popular with Lisa’s customers.  The Bakewell Slice was equally as moist and I really enjoyed this too.  Of course I’m always on the hunt for a gluten free pasty and this one had a tasty filling and the pastry stood up well after the pasty was warmed up.  Overall I was very impressed with the products.

The range of cakes includes Peach, Poppy Seed and Sweet Potato Muffin, Lemon and Blueberry Muffin, Lemon Drizzle Cake, Chocolate Brownie Chocolate Torte, Apple Blondie and Fresh Raspberry and White Chocolate Blondie and many more.  The savoury range includes Hand Raised Pork Pies, Bacon and Egg Pie, savoury muffins and a range of quiches (note the quiches are not dairy free).

You can find Let Them Eat Cake’s products at Jeniffer’s Deli in Fore Street Saltash or at the following markets:

  • Liskeard Market, every second Saturday 9am to 3pm. This is an outdoor market situated on The Parade right outside the old Webbs Hotel building, it can be cancelled in severe weather conditions. Market currently not running until March
  • Crocodon Market St Mellion, every third Saturday, 9am to 3pm, next one is 19th January. This is held in a barn so we are in the dry even if it is pouring down outside (wear stout boots as it can get a little muddy in the car park) I have to date sold out at each market here so come early to avoid disappointment.
  • Royal William Yard – first Sunday of the month from March through to December. Next market is Sunday March 2nd

Note the full range of products are not stocked at every market, so if there was something in particular you want it’s best to contact Lisa in advance and she can ensure she has it for you.  You can contact Lisa on 07508360035, via email at fairies@talktalk.net or at the Let Them Eat Cake Facebook page.  Lisa is on the lookout for more stockists so contact her if you are interested, and I’ll definitely be stopping by to stock up on some Jaffa Slice if she can find a stockist in Plymouth.

LTEC-PlymGreengrocerLTEC-PorkPieLTEC-Quiche

Update 08/09/13: Let Them Eat Cake products are now available at the following locations:

River Cottage Canteen and Deli
Langage Farm Shop – Plympton
Food For Thought – Totnes
The West Country Deli – Brixham
Kevin, Gluten Free by the Sea

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