The GF Traveller
Gluten Free in Glasgow
Gluten Free Haggis (Findlays of Portobello)
Jan
26
Rabbie Burns
It’s Burns night and you’re probably itching for a big plate of haggis, neeps and tatties, right?Possibly even with some whisky gravy and a can of Irn Bru just to make it really Scottish! So the question is…where can you find a gluten free haggis? (more…)
Bibliocafe
May
28
Bibliocafe on Woodlands Road
Bibliocafe is an independent coffee house and second-hand bookshop in the Woodlands area of Glasgow’s West end. They sell a variety of drinks, cakes and sandwiches and included in this are a few tasty gluten free options. They have a good selection of wheat and gluten free cakes, biscuits and chocolate bars to enjoy with your beverage. They have cosy indoor tables and also a small outdoor seating area, nice for people watching or on those rare but fantastic occasions when Glasgow experiences a sunny day. (more…)
Chillies West End
May
17
Chillies West End
I was walking past Chillies the other day when I noticed gluten free signage on their menu. Chillies is an Indian restaurant on Woodlands Road in the west end of Glasgow. As this restaurant is less than a 5 minute walk from my flat, I had checked their menu a few times in the past. Until now though I hadn’t seen any evidence of which menu items are or aren’t gluten free so I’m guessing that this must be a new (and much appreciated!) addition. (more…)
The 2 Figs
May
05
Friday is my final day at work before my boyfriend and I head off on our North and South American travels and I am heading out to dinner with 3 of my best friends to celebrate. We decided to try The 2 Figs on Byres Road as none of us have eaten there before and their menu looks very tasty! When I called to book our table I told the woman on the phone that I am Coeliac and need gluten free food. She said that they have quite a few gluten free options on their menu and to say to my server when I come on Friday. I’ll keep you updated on how it goes…. (more…)
Ichiban
Apr
30
Ichiban is a Japanese restaurant which can be found in two locations within Glasgow. There is one on Queen Street (in the city centre) and another on Dumbarton Road (in the West end). They offer take-out or sit-in and I’ve taken advantage of both a number of times. The menu includes a variety of different things from Sushi to noodles but it’s really only their sushi that is suitable for Coeliacs. Their sushi menu is good and varied, including 6 varieties of Nigiri, 7 Maki and includes vegetarian options. I checked with the kitchen that nothing additional is used in the production of their sushi. They use rice vinegar to help the rice stick but that’s gluten free. I tend to stay away from the California or futomaki as I don’t trust the crabstick and if you get the avacado maki then ask for it without mayo because apparently there may be gluten in this. Soy sauce is obviously a big no no so you can either bring your own or try it without, which I enjoy sometimes as it keeps the taste of sushi and wasabi strong!
Sitting-in at the cafeteria style restaurant costs a little more than take-out. You can get a good amount of delicious sushi for 2 people for around £20 (take-out) and £25 (eat in). If you eat in there are a variety of drinks to choose from. Beer is out for us but there’s wine, cider, sake, soft drinks and teas and coffees. If you love Sushi then I’m sure you’ll love Ichiban!
Cafe Andaluz
Jan
17
Cafe Andaluz is a Spanish Tapas restaurant, of which there are two in Glasgow. One is in the centre of the city on St Vincent Place and the other is in the city’s west end on Cresswell Lane. The West End location is where I ate a couple of night ago. My boyfriend and I began dating 4 years ago on the 14th of January 2006 so we decided to celebrate our anniversary with some gluten free Spanish food.
The restaurant has a nice warm vibe, attentive staff and some interesting art and lighting which to me had a bit of a Moroccan feel. Their menu has a good selection of things to choose from and they do various Tapas Vegetarianas, Carnes and Mariscos y Pescados (Vegetarian, meat and fish and seafood) They also have 3 paellas (which serve 2 people) and various sides and desserts. Their drinks menu is fairly varied and they have a good selection of white, rose and red wines. The menu indicates which dishes are gluten free with ‘GF’ and whilst none of the sides or desserts are gluten free, there is a good and varied selection of tapas and paella which are.
John and I ordered a nice bottle of Chardonnay and to start, one tapas to share, the ‘Carne de Res Picante’ which is spicy beef on a bed of rocket and manchego cheese with chorizo dressing. Not particularly picante but Muy delicioso!! We then went for the Paella Valenciana. (2 of their 3 paellas are gluten free) This was rice with chicken, pork, seafood and shellfish flavoured with saffron. Again, really delicious and full of various tasty meat and seafood.
The paella was very filling and in our case enough for the two of us as we had shared a tapas before. We enjoyed a really good night here and would probably go back since it’s nice to see ‘GF’ on a menu rather than have to ask lots of questions. I was stuffed for the rest of the night but not painful gluten stuffed. Unfortunately John ended up with food poisoning, which we think must have been from the seafood. I felt fine after sharing the same dish but sometimes all it takes is one dodgy prawn! It’s a shame this happened after having such a good meal here but I would still recommend this restaurant to any gluten free travellers passing through Glasgow. As long as you are not on a budget, as this place is fairly priced but definitely not cheap, if you like Spanish food then you will probably enjoy Cafe Andaluz.
I wish I could eat….
Dec
29
So far I feel as though I’m doing pretty well with my new gluten free life but there are still a few delicious gluten filled delights that I miss…This is a place for me to shout and scream and get it all out without freaking out the sales assistants in the cereal aisle of Tesco! If anyone has similar bittersweet memories of their favourite tasty treats before Coeliacdom then please share them here…
Frosties, Ricicles, Shreddies, Cheerios, Grape Nuts and lots more cereals
Interesting foreign foods when I’m not sure what they really are and what’s in them
A taste of whatever my dining buddy is munching on
Free samples being given out in supermarkets
Those delicious wee blue and pink bobbly licorice allsorts
Kinder Bueno…I never got to try the new white chocolate one!
Bier Halle thin base Pizza
The Butterfly and Pig’s spicy bean burger
Cafe Hula’s spanish tortilla
A nice big plate of Haggis, neeps and tatties)
Dakhin
Dec
22
Huge dosa
Dakhin is a South Indian restaurant situated in the Merchant City area of Glasgow. Their menu is wide and varied, serving chicken, pork, prawn and vegetable dishes of varying flavours and spices. They also have some interesting sounding starters as well as slightly different side dishes, Dosas and Uttapams (crepes made with rice and lentils served with coconut chutney) as well as steamed rice. An impressive assortment of choices but what’s even better is that all dishes on the menu, except one, are gluten free, including the breads and sides as they are made of rice and lentils. They have a good, varied range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks too.
On sitting down, I wanted to confirm that everything was gluten free. One of the waiters wasn’t sure at first but after checking with the chef he could confirm to me that everything but one dish was in fact gluten free. Woohoo! I had free range of the menu to choose whatever I wanted and I could even try what my friends were having. After ordering (I had the BATATA KEERAI SOUNG, a potato and spinach dish cooked with sweet and sour flavours and coconut oil…mmmm) the waiter brought us a bowl of poppadum like crisps and 3 dipping sauces. He told us that this was also gluten free. All the food was delicious and the staff were very nice. I will definitely be going back for more gluten free south Indian treats and I would recommend this restaurant to any Coeliacs travelling through Glasgow in search of delicious gluten free delights!
Gluten Free Prescription
Dec
16
Today I picked up my first gluten free package courtesy of the NHS. 3 loaves of bread, 1 box of crackers, 2 boxes of crisp bread, 2 pizza bases, one packet of shortbread and 2 boxes of pasta.
When I was first diagnosed my doctor had mentioned that I would be able to get free gluten foods on prescription and had given me a couple of leaflets to send away for free samples packs. There seem to be a few different companies out there which do foods available on prescription but the main two are Glutafin and Juvela. I sent away for sample packs of both companies and was quite surprised at what I received. Glutafin sent a large box filled with bread, rolls, biscuits, crackers, pasta, pizza bases and cake and bread mixes as well as adverts, recipes, information and a notepad and pen. I expected the same from Juvela but from them I got a much smaller box but still containing bread, pasta, crackers, biscuits and bread mix. To be honest I couldn’t really tell the difference in taste between both of these company’s products so when I finally got around to ordering the choice came down to which prescription order form I could find first. After lots of searching through all of my gluten free leaflets and adverts, I found the Glutafin one.
The gluten free prescription is a list of products including a variety of breads, rolls, biscuits, crisp breads, crackers, pizza bases, pastas and bread mixes. Each product has a a value attached to it and customers can choose a number of these products up to a certain value. (17 for an average person I think) Most of the products have a value of 1 except pasta which is 2 so you can get quite a lot in one prescription. It is a wee bit confusing when ticking what you want though because the form doesn’t actually list what every product is worth but rather just gives examples of what you could order with the values of these products so I was left partially guessing what my allowance would cover. The prescription I picked up from my GP had most but not all of the things I had ticked on the form so I’m guessing I ticked too many things…oh well, it all looks pretty good and they gave me everything I most wanted anyway.
How to get your prescription: Complete a gluten free prescription form by ticking the products you require (Companies will send one with your free sample pack), hand your prescription in to your GP surgery to be signed by your doctor, pick up your signed prescription and hand in into your local pharmacy, pick up your free gluten free foods once ready. (mine was ready for pick-up the following day)
Gluten Free coffee shop snacks
Nov
25
I’m not a big fan of coffee but still enjoy ‘going out for a coffee’ and a chat or in my case going out for a fruity drink and a chat 
Whether I’m meeeting my boyfriend, friends, mum or dad I sometimes think it would be nice to nibble a wee cookie or cake with my drink but these days, as a coeliac, it is a lot more difficult to find somewhere that this is a possibility. The last few times I’ve gone out I’ve taken my own seed and nut bar or flavoured rice cakes with me to avoid my little green monster showing his head as my mum delves into her gluten filled yet delicious looking muffin. So far I’ve found a few places that do have gluten free options and a few others that don’t…if anyone out there has been to a coffee shop that sells tasty gluten free treats then let me know and I’ll add your findings to my list so that other coeliacs can enjoy a gluten free snack along with their coffee!
Starbucks: sell a gluten free chocolate brownie and a gluten free luxury christmas cake (at christmas time).
Costa Coffee: sell a gluten free brownie. Concerns? Check out the discussion below.
Bean Scene: do not currently sell any gluten free snacks.
Marks & Spencer: sell a gluten free chocolate muffin