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Hi all,
Earlier I sent the summary of the responses I received regarding my
question about finding GF in UK, but my post bounced back on the
grounds that it was too long. So, I'm sending them now in two parts. I
have sent them to individuals who contacted me and wanted to receive the
information I gathered. But recently one person suggested that I post
them to the general list.
Meyda
So, here they are:
From: Don Wiss <[log in to unmask]>
You wrote:
There are Indian restaurant all over the UK. Since their curries are GF
they are the easiest to eat at. Here are some tips:
Indian restaurants are easy to eat GF at, or they should be as their
curry dishes are thickened with chick pea flour. Wheat does not grow in
hot climates, so is not used much in traditional Indian cooking, even
less so in very hot parts of India like Madras.
This is what you have to watch for. The homemade cheese should be made
with lime juice, however some, to save money, use vinegar. Also all
dishes should use fresh tomatoes, unfortunately some use canned tomato
paste, which at least here in the States has HVP in it. Tomato paste
will most likely be used in the Chicken Makni.
Appetizers can be GF or not. Pakoras (vegetable fritters) are usually
made with chick pea flour. Samosas are usually in wheat casings, but
will be in chick pea flour if from Madras (which will usually be a
vegetarian restaurant). If they use different flours, they probably
share the frying oil, so I tend to avoid them.
Chicken cooked in the tandoor oven will have been marinated. Again it
should be in lime juice and not vinegar, but you will have to ask.
Since bread is cooked on the sides of the oven, the person tending the
oven could have wheat flour on their hands. When removing the meat from
the skewers (it won't touch the oven sides) the person should use a
piece of paper, and not their hands. To be safe one can just avoid
things from this oven.
Some restaurants will start you off with papadum. It is a crispy wafer
made from lentil flour. They usually fry it in its own oil, but they
can also, on request, bake it. I've had some problems with this at
restaurants, and I'm not sure I will continue to eat them there.
From: Lisa Marino <[log in to unmask]>
HI,
I travel to the UK frequently because my husband is from there. I have
had great success in eating GF. Safeway stores, on their brand
products, will have a disclaimer "Suitable for a gluten-free diet." And
many other brands of things you'll find in the supermarket will also
have the same kind of disclaimer. Tesco, another major supermarket,
usually has a small section of GF foods, plus decent breads.
Sainsbury's, yet another chain, usually carries bread and bits, but I've
had to search for them there.
Eating out is about the same as it is here in the US only most people
are much more familiar with CD over there. I ask lots of questions and
can most always be accomodated, even in pubs!
Mind you, I mostly travel to the Manchester area so I'm not sure about
the availability of GF products in London and Birmingham. However, it's
a huge city, and if you find one of the stores I've mentioned you
shouldn't have trouble.
Have a fun trip.
Lisa in NC
From: Sidona Ryan <[log in to unmask]>
Here's a couple of e-mails that I saved. Good luck, Sidona
Subject: Restaurant with GF knowlegeable chef
From: David J Walland <[log in to unmask]>
Dear All,
I thought I should share with the whole list that Karin
found the "Throwing Stones" restaurant in the new National
Glass Centre in Sunderland, UK currently has a chef who
knows about Coeliac and GF and was very helpful when she
was there on a conference recently. This is also a tourist
attraction, so if you are visiting this area (maybe to see
the "Angel of the North", Durham Cathedral or whatever)
then she recommends this highly. The food was excellent
and not the usual boring grub one expects of this sort of
place. The chef recommends that you ring and talk to him
before you come (number in the local telephone
directories).
Regards
David
David J Walland
University of Bristol Radiation Protection Adviser
[log in to unmask]
Tel +44 (0)117 928 8323
Fax +44 (0)117 929 1209
Subject: Good Labelling in a UK supermarket (with interest for the US)
Date: Thu, 23 Dec 1999 13:53:42 +0000
From: David J Walland <[log in to unmask]>
Dear All,
First an apology for my silence in the last couple of
months. My e-mail is at work and the last 10 weeks have
been totally MAD at work, with so much training and
teaching that I have had no time to write to this list.
Anyone in the UK or proposing to visit may be interested to
know that the supermarket chain "Asda" marks ALL its
own-brand foods gluten-free or not as the case may be. The
interest for US listers is that Wal-mart bought this chian
up earlier this year. I understand that they are not
nearly so good at marking in the 'States. Perhaps a
concentrated write-in is needed to point out how well their
subsidiary is doing in the UK and ask that Wal-mart itself
does the same.
Sadly Asda still do not make many ready meals which are
gluten-free. Even their onion bhahjis which should be made
from pure gram flour, contain wheat flour - sad really. At
least their seasonal Christmas goods shelves were full of
naughty chocolate and sweet things clearly marked GLUTEN
FREE (Yea!!). Herself will now put on pounds over the
holiday :-)
All the best for Christmas and the New Year to you all,
Regards
David (and Karin)
David J Walland
University of Bristol Radiation Protection Adviser
[log in to unmask]
Tel +44 (0)117 928 8323
Fax +44 (0)117 929 1209
From: "Brian Cawley" <[log in to unmask]>
Meyda
some of the rest-stops on the Motorway between Birminham and London have
good salad bars, and buffet type foods. The Health Food shops have
cookies and some of the Supermarkets and Marks and Spencers have iitems
marked GF (a little flag)
I suggest you take some with you as a back up
though
Valerie, California
From: [log in to unmask]
Hi, so you're brave enough to travel over here! Hold your breath, get
ready to duck and dive! Just kidding...... Most health food shops here
sale gluten-free things. The range is limited and they are expensive,
though.
Tesco's is one of the few big food store's that does have a range of
gluten-free, although slightly limited. Otherwise, it's mostly a case
of reading labels as things g-f are scattered around. Also, I'm sorry
to tell you this, but don't expect restaurants here to be very helpful.
They don't really take the time that they do in the US to be of help to
their customers.
Cheryl
(Middlesex, England)
From: David J Walland <[log in to unmask]>
Dear Meyda,
The first people to contact are the Coeliac Society of the
UK. (http://www.coeliac.co.uk/). They have a "Food List"
which costs GBP3.50 which lists foods which can be bought
in local supermarkets and shops, which are GF.
Most Chemists shops can ORDER GF items for you (takes 2 - 3
days). "Boots the Chemists" are a big chain and we use
them here in Bristol.
Asda Supermarket Chain (a subsidiary of Wal-Mart) has most
of its own brand goods marked "gluten-free" if they are.
Tesco supermarket chain has some GF items on "special
diets" sections in some big stores - ask at the help desk.
Now you have to realise that in the UK purified wheat
starch (purified to Codex Alimentarius standards) is
accepted as GF and no differentiation is made between this
and fully GF foods. Most GF bread is made from CA flour as
the consistency is about a zillion times better. If any
SPECIFIC GF item (ie made for the GF diet SPECIFICALLY) is
also wheat-free, it will say so.
No-Nos on contents lists of foods - the old chestnut of
"modified starch" is the major one. We've never found
things like "herbs" or "spices" containing wheat flour.
Watch out for mustard. Anything with "mustard flour" or
"English mustard" will normally have a lot of wheat flour
in it. Whole grain mustard is OK.
Chip from fish and chips shops are deep-fried in the same
fat as battered fish - don't risk it.
Some hotels know about coeliac although they may need a few
days warning. Others are hopeless.
Have a good trip and if you need any advice, give us a ring
on 0117 977 3750. If we're out there's an answer phone and
you can leave a number and time to ring back.
Hope this helps
Regards
David
David J Walland
University of Bristol Radiation Protection Adviser
[log in to unmask]
Tel +44 (0)117 928 8323
Fax +44 (0)117 929 1209
From: "Sheila Johnston" <[log in to unmask]>
Hi, although I don't live in England I thought that I would tell you
that the nationwide Holland & Barrett Health food stores sell GF foods.
Some of that Tesco supermarkets stock biscuits and rolls that are GF.
Hope this helps.
Sheila
Scotland
From: Terry Lee Cross <[log in to unmask]>
Meyda,
We went to England (London and some other places). It was very easy to
eat GF there. Almost everybody knows what our diet is, so I had no
trouble eating out. I really liked the jacket potatoes (baked potatoes)
at the tea shops. The health food stores are listed in the phone books.
Mary in OK
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