Tag Archives: food

Gluten Free by the Sea is One Year Old!

5 Aug

Unbelievably today is the first birthday of this blog.  On the 5th August 2012 readers were welcomed to Gluten Free by the Sea by this post, and how quickly a year has flown by!  I set out with a mantra that if I could help even one person, then the work put into the blog would be worthwhile.  I’d like to think I’ve achieved that aim and hopefully a few more along the way.

GlutenFreeByTheSea

Before launching Gluten Free by the Sea I’d not done anything like this before.  I’ve always been a person who has shied away for the limelight, so blogging and putting myself out there has been a completely alien concept to me really.  However, I’ve really enjoyed writing about my experiences over the last year and the feedback from readers has been very rewarding to be honest.  I didn’t think many people would be that interested in what I have to say, but a year on and I still find it utterly astonishing that there have been nearly 37,000 page views in that time.  I’d just like to give a huge thank you to everyone who has read and shared my posts over the last twelve months.

Here’s a little round up of the last year on Gluten Free by the Sea, with the most viewed post in each month:

TetleyGreenAugust 2012: Warning, Tetley Green Tea!  My first month started strongly with a lot of interest in my round-up of some great gluten free eateries in London.  However my month was disrupted by a mystery glutening which was eventually traced to Tetley Green Tea.  My follow up communications and subsequent blog post caused some shock amongst the GF community and has now been viewed over 2500 times.

potatoesSeptember 2012: My Coeliac Journey – One Year On.  My story.  I was terribly nervous about posting such a deeply personal post on Gluten Free by the Sea.  There were things in here which I hadn’t even told my family.  I found it emotional to write but at the same time very therapeutic.  The comments that I received on this post made me so glad I had written it, fantastic feedback.

SeabrookOctober 2012: Gluten Free Labelling Removed from Seabrook’s Crisps.  Despite the fact that October saw the launch of the first of a glut of gluten free pizza launches from Pizza Hut, it is actually my post about Seabrook crisps removing gluten free labelling that is my most viewed post from the month. The post has now been viewed over 1100 times, and helped persuade Seabrook to promise to review the decision.

DominosGFNovember 2012: Domino’s Gluten Free Pizza Review.  Well gluten free pizza may have been outshone in October, but November was a different story.  The launch of the Domino’s GF base really caught the imagination of the coeliac and gluten free community.  To date this post is my most viewed with over 7500 hits!

CadburysTreeChocDecember 2012: A Gluten Free Christmas.  Perhaps unsurprisingly the most popular post in December was Christmas themed.  This post was a round-up of tips for making sure coeliacs didn’t miss out on all the trimmings with Christmas dinner and all the other indulgences that make that time of the year.

Kev_AbbyJanuary 2013: Living With Coeliac Disease.  Many people had been asking me for tips and advice, so I thought it would be good to put together my guide for living with coeliac disease.  This post was aimed at helping those newly diagnosed with coeliac disease and those struggling to adjust.

EggbucklandChipShopFebruary 2013: Gluten Free Fish and Chips!  Excitement ensued in the Plymouth gluten free community after my childhood chippy at Eggbuckland announced they were launching a monthly 100% gluten free night after receiving training from Coeliac UK.

Prawn CocktailMarch 2013: Seabrook’s to Restore Gluten Free Labelling. A second month of most views for a Seabrook post, and this time their announcement to make their entire range gluten free and restore GF labelling.  A very proud moment for me and the coeliac community, showing what can be done if enough of us question companies.

SimplyMoorishApril 2013: Simply Moorish. A quiet month on the blog, meant my review of local producer Simply Moorish was the most viewed post.  I could just eat one of their muffins right now!  It’s been great to build relationships like this with local businesses.

GFPizzaMay 2013: Pizza Express Gluten Free Review.  A lot of posts in May for Gut Feeling Week, including some great guest posts on diagnosis.  Most viewed post in May though was a review of the new gluten free offerings form Pizza Express.  Coeliacs really do like to read about GF pizza!

StMauriceBakeryJune 2013: St Maurice Bakery.  Slightly surprisingly my review of a local bakery in Plymouth which makes gluten free pasties and cakes has out performed my review of the Allergy and Free From Show 2013.  It’s actually quite satisfying to see something Plymouth focussed getting more views  than something with more national appeal.  The blog is Plymouth focussed after all, but naturally it is the posts with wider appeal that get many more views.

samplesJuly 2013: ilumi Review.  Most viewed post last month was my review of the gluten, nut and dairy free ready meals from ilumi.  These meals are certainly causing waves amongst the gluten free world at the moment, and I can see why.

Overall it’s been a fantastic year.  I’ve built up relationships with many local suppliers, producers and restaurants and also extended Gluten Free by the Sea by launching a complimentary Facebook page.  Through Facebook I’ve also received many recommendations for eating out in Plymouth and the surrounding area.  So I’d just like to give another huge thank you to everyone who has supported Gluten Free by the Sea this year, and I hope the next year is equally successful.

Kevin, Gluten Free by the Sea

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Deli Divine Review

1 Aug

Deli Divine have recently celebrated a year of selling a wide range of gluten free products on-line at http://www.delidivine.co.uk.  What better way to celebrate than by opening a gluten free shop!  I was invited to the opening of the shop in Netley, near Southampton, but was unfortunately unable to attend.  Fortunately for me I was very kindly offered a sample box of products.

Samples

There were some fantastic products amongst the samples.  CELIA Lager and Frank bars were familiar to me along with Foodamentalists pork pie, a Sconeybun from Honeybuns bakery and some cookies from Knead bakery.  Also included were a ham and cheese panini from Freedom Deli, and a gourmet lasagne from Lifestyle Cuisine, both of which were great.

Some of the stand put products for me included the extremely tasty Hotch Potch Eggs, which were scotch eggs with no egg!  Instead of egg they were stuffed with things such as roasted pepper, apricot and olive.  Really different and it worked really well.  My first taste of Glamour Puds was a positive one, the hot chocolate fudge pud was extremely moist and delicious.  Le Pain des fleurs chestnut crispbread was by the far the best gluten free crispbread I’ve tasted, and topped with lashings of Nutella it was something else!

lasagne_packagingglamour_pudcrisp_bread

Deli Divine aim to be a place where you can buy all the best gluten free products in one place.  Judging by the samples they seem to be doing a great job at this.  I also note they sell my favourite pasties and pies from Baked to Taste.  Although I was unable to make the shop in person, fellow coeliac Elizabeth Sargent who lives in Southampton kindly agreed to do a write up for Gluten Free by the Sea.  Many thanks to Elizabeth.  It seems the people who live near the shop are very lucky, and I am extremely jealous.  I am sure I will be ordering on-line in future though.

Elizabeth’s Review:

Shop_FrontLast week I had the pleasure of checking out the newly opened Deli Divine store in Netley. The name may sound familiar to some of you as the online shop http://www.delidivine.co.uk has been open for over a year now.

My first thought upon entrance was: “Wow, treasure trove!”  The shelves were stacked with gluten free sauces, mixes, crackers, and chocolates, and 3 chest freezers were full to bursting with savoury and sweet delights.

Freezers

I recognised some of the brand names, but many items were completely new to me. Debra, the founder of Deli Divine, explained that many of her items are locally sourced. I was excited to see so much selection from in and around Hampshire!

I’m a sucker for sauces, so I spent the first little while browsing jars of mustard, marinade, and hot sauce. I’m always nervous when purchasing these items in bigger stores, with ambiguous “starch” ingredients popping up all over the place, but Debra assured me that every single item in her shop (except one jar of mustard) is gluten free.

Shelves

As you might imagine, I made out with quite a good haul!

Haul

I’ve only made it through a handful of my items so far, but I whole-heartedly can recommend what I have had.  If you’re someone who likes spice, the South Devon Chili Farm range is amazing. I loved their chilli chocolate, and the habanero hot sauce went perfect with nachos at the weekend.  My favourite item so far has been MAN•MEAT•FIRE®’s hot ginger sauce. It is delightfully spicy sweet. Debra mentioned that it is great on ice cream, but I have yet to try that. The Les Pains des Fluers quinoa crispbread is also pretty amazing and went well with the Smoked Godminster I picked up.

The only negative I could possibly think of is that the shop is a bit hard to get to if you don’t have a car. Fortunately everything is available to order for delivery anyways, so it’s not much of a setback!

My only regret is not bringing along a cool box. I was leaving straight from the shop for a weekend away, so had to woefully leave behind all the frozen goodies. I’ll certainly be stocking up on those during future trips.

Also, if you haven’t yet tried Glamour Puds, do so! They were so good, I couldn’t even allow myself enough time to snap a photo before digging in. Gluten free delight!

Pud

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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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