A Guided Tour of the NEW Holland & Barrett Free From!

On 23rd April 2015 Holland & Barrett took a huge step forward in the Free From World by introducing Store Number 1 in the Holland & Barrett Free From master plan. Based in Chester, this is looking to be the first of many Holland & Barrett stores that focus almost entirely on Free From Foods. Fancy a guided tour? Check out my video below from the opening day!

The new Holland & Barrett More is a huge store compared to any previous Holland & Barrett I have been in. It is easy to get around as there are large signs everywhere showing you what section you are in (that is how big this store is compared to any of their former stores!) For those who have to be careful about what they eat like those with the autoimmune condition, Coeliac Disease or the bowel condition Crohn’s Diease, this is a massive step forward. It is also great news for all of those folk with food intolerances and allergies… Gluten Free, Wheat Free, Dairy Free, Lactose Free, Egg Free, Soya Free, Nut Free & so much more are all covered in the new Holland & Barrett Free From Store. Of course, it is also perfect for those who might like to choose to live a gluten free lifestyle through choice, the store has so much information available & such a variety of products for all.

So, what does the new Holland & Barrett More Store offer?!

Food & Drink

• Firstly there are endless new products from so many different brands. (in the new store & online they currently have over 1000 free from products but this is due to rise to 3000 by the summer & even more than that in the future!)


• There is an in-store Juice Bar, Zenerjii.


• There is a snack station run by VBites where gluten free cake & gluten free wraps are available, amongst other things!


• You can purchase fresh fruit & vegetables within the store.


• There are chilled counters stacked full of free from options, with plenty of gluten free & dairy free cheeses and desserts.


• There are freezers full of free from frozen products, both savoury & sweet. The selection of dairy free ice creams has increased dramatically from previous stores.


• There is of course still a huge range of pick & mix nuts and dried fruits in classic Holland & Barrett style!

Skincare & Beauty

• There is a nail bar where you can have manicures & your nails painted with natural nail polishes.


• There is a huge amount of skin care products from the likes of brands such as Dr Organic who promote natural, organic products. For those with skin irritations there is a huge amount of different brands & products available.


• There is a bath bomb station, where you can create your own bath bombs & scrubs by Beauty Kitchen. For me, a long term eczema sufferer this blew my mind as everything is natural. I’ve never been able to have a bubble bath before now!


• Lots of natural makeup brands are in the new store as well… I struggle with many high street brands for make up so having natural make up products available is something that really excites me.

Other sections

• There is a pet section! If you want to spend a little extra on your dog, feeding them natural & even free from products then the Holland & Barrett Pet section in the new store is great! Having a beautiful dog myself I know how important it is to keep them in good health!


• There is the usual section for the gym goers filled with protein powders, tablets & other fitness related products.


• & of course what Holland & Barrett is known for (in my past mind).. a huge amount of Vitamins & Minerals to help all types of people in all situations. From digestive health to bone strengthening… there is everything you would expect right in front of you.

Oh & one other thing, not only are the staff in store incredibly helpful and well informed. Holland & Barrett have brought in a nutritionist that you are able to book appointments with. This really does place Holland & Barrett on another level. I have found accessing nutritionists to the very tricky in the past, so to have one in store is a great idea.

The new Holland & Barrett Free From Store in Chester is a great move in the right direction for Free From. The Free From Market has seen a massive surge in growth over the past 5 years and this has been predicted to continue at an even more rapid pace moving towards 2020. Holland & Barrett are already planning a large amount of new stores across the entire country over the coming year to push forward the Free From Concept. I am sure this will encourage other stores to follow in the footsteps of Holland & Barrett.

We had a really great day out in Chester having a nose around the new store & I can’t wait to go back. Fortunately, although I only live 45 minutes from the new store, when I can’t get there the Holland & Barrett Free From website has now been updated to offer even more free from goodies! Oh & watch out in your local Holland & Barrett stores for increases in choice of Free From products.

If you get the chance I would highly recommend a trip to Chester to check it out… & because I discovered Chester is an amazing city for gluten free & wheat free too!

What are your views on Holland & Barrett’s new free from move? Let me know by commenting below or on Facebook/Twitter. Also please keep sending over your Free From Stories, Click here for a Link to ‘My Gluten Free Journey’.

Thanks for reading,

Becky xxx

 

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A Guided Tour of the NEW Holland & Barrett Free From!

My Gluten Free Journey - What"s Yours?

Hi, my name is Becky. I am 24 years old and have been living for the past 8 months in the sunny climates of Manchester. I unfortunately live with a gluten intolerance & have done so since early 2010.

I know that gluten intolerances affect a huge amount of people across the world, as well as other food intolerances, allergies & more serious conditions such as Coeliac and Crohns Disease. So I thought I would share my story with you about how, firstly I acquired my problem, and secondly what it was like to have to contend with this, whilst I completed my university degree and beyond. What is it like to be gluten free?

My story actually starts right here in Manchester, where in 2009 I started a Law Degree. I moved 250 miles away from home and was really excited to start a new life in a vibrant, northern city. I lived with 7 other amazing flat mates, and was really enjoying the social side of university. However, the endless reading and hard work that a law degree brought was making me more and more unhappy.

I had worked really hard at college to get onto the course and I didn’t want to disappoint anyone, but deep down I knew Law wasn’t for me & I needed to quit.

Months went past of me stressing out, wondering what I would do if I stopped Law and what people would think of me. I started to feel more and more run down until April 2010, when I finally left Manchester University for good and returned home.

me & some of my university flat mates!

I had started to notice over the few months prior to leaving Manchester, that I was getting a huge amount of bloating, discomfort & pain whenever I ate certain foods. Initially I just ignored it, but it continued to become frustrating, and at times, quite embarrassing. I remember clearly a night of agony & incessant trapped wind, following a meal out at a local Italian restaurant.

Eventually I decided to visit my GP who sent me off for some blood tests, one of which was to see if I had coeliac disease. Fortunately it came back negative, but that didn’t solve the issues I was having. My doctor recommended I keep a food diary and try removing certain foods from my diet to see if it helped.

I very quickly came to realize that wheat, and soon after, all forms of gluten were the culprits of my discomfort. Whether it was bread, pasta, soy sauce or a custard cream biscuit, anything that contained gluten was making me really unwell. I decided to remove all gluten containing foods from my diet. This was a monstrous & unhappy task at first… who knew that so many foods contain gluten!

I returned to university the following year, new place & a new subject, which I enjoyed a lot more. However my digestive discomfort, upon ever mistakenly eating gluten, never went away. This made university more difficult for me. A night out with friends could no longer end with a kebab; and I was unable to partake in student associated dinners such as pizza & pot noodles! Back in 2010, ‘gluten free food’ was a lot less accessible, as was finding gluten free options in restaurants. I really struggled with this, as well as the sheer cost of gluten free living as a student.

Gluten Free Shops & Restaurants everywhere!

However, as time has moved on more brands have started to creep out of the shadows and provide their own gluten free options; restaurants too have started jumping on the bandwagon. It is great to feel more understood by the wider food community and for the importance of allergens to be taken seriously.

Having to eat a gluten free diet made me a more adventurous cook throughout university, and that continued beyond graduation (I passed!). I started to try things that I wouldn’t have before, & began recreating dishes that I could no longer eat in their original gluten form.

For me, following a gluten free diet has become an insightful & positive experience. I realize this definitely isn’t the case for everyone. A gluten intolerance is incredibly frustrating a lot of the time & can cause a lot of problems. But, at the end of the day, all you can do is make the best out of a bad situation, & that’s exactly what I’ve done. Finding real gems in the rough, in the shape of gluten free products & restaurants is often exciting. Creating my own gluten free recipes that everyone loves is even more exciting.

I have learnt to help myself, and also help others combat the hold that a food intolerance can have on ones everyday life. This, alongside the steps forward the free from food industry have made in recent years, has made the whole experience so much more manageable.

And whilst I wouldn’t wish any food intolerance, disease or allergy on my worst enemy, I am glad that by having a gluten intolerance I have been able to understand and help others suffering from similar problems. Ultimately, whilst I can’t eat any old chocolate cake, I have learnt to make a pretty decent gluten free chocolate cake! & best of all? I am pretty damn happy.

Have you got a food intolerance, allergy or just a story you want to share? Please feel free to share away by leaving a comment below or on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram.

Thanks for reading,

Becky xxx

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My Gluten Free Journey - What"s Yours?

REVIEW: Lactose-Free Mars Milk 750ml

The world of gluten-free has come a long way lately, but dairy-free often seems like a neglected cousin to free from retailers (yes, I am intensely jealous!) But in a discovery that immediately felt like my Birthday and Christmas had come all at once, I found Mars Lactose-Free Mars Milk.

I will often go to the chilled dairy-free section and hunt for a Pudology or other exciting new products in my local Tescos but only ever find disappointment and the same old selection. I’m just after a little innovation in a dairy-free world that is still barely getting the basics down (cheese, yoghurts and milk etc.) Is that too much to ask?

Initially, I missed this product completely. On what planet would I be able to drink Mars Milk anyway?! But luckily as I was walking off, Becky pulled me back to discover the true glory of Lactose-Free Mars Milk. I was speechless. As the chilled dairy-free section in Tescos is commonly next to the ‘evil’ dairy products, I’m quite used to seeing Mars around that area. But not like this.

Being lactose-free, it contains less than 0.1% lactose. So like lacto-free milk, it’s real cow’s milk with the lactose removed and thus unfortunately isn’t vegan friendly. However if you suffer from lactose intolerance like I do, today is your lucky day my friend.

How does it taste? It’s quite simply Mars milk. Forgive me for the lack of poetic description but as a lactose-intolerant, the fact that this merely exists is pure poetry in itself. It’s chocolatey, thick, with an authentic Mars-like caramel aftertaste. It’s everything that you shouldn’t be allowed as a lactose-intolerant, without the days of stomach pain normally required. I haven’t had a taste like this in years and the fact that a company like Mars are branching out into dairy-free makes me excited to see what’s around the corner.

This was a particularly liberating experience overall, as the first time I realised I was becoming lactose intolerant was when I chugged an entire Frijj milkshake in one go (even just thinking about it makes my stomach churn). So to revisit the ‘dreaded milkshake’ without fear was an absolute dream. Thanks Tesco and Mars!

Have you had a chance to try this delicious innovation from Mars? Let me know by leaving a comment below, or on Facebook / Twitter.

Cheers,

Mark x

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REVIEW: Lactose-Free Mars Milk 750ml

REVIEW: Muffin Break - Gluten Free & Dairy Free Muffins

Have you ever heard of Muffin Break? I hadn’t until last weekend. It’s an amazing cafe/bakery/coffee shop that provides Gluten Free Muffins & Dairy Free Muffins! You can find them dotted all over the UK, so keep your eyes peeled for some delicious free from delights next time your out & about!

You might think I’m going muffin mad after my recent review of the delicious gluten free range of muffins at BB Muffins… maybe I am! But with good reason! On the very same trip out that I discovered BB Muffins gluten free range I also discovered an entire new cafe that I fell a little bit in love with. Its name? Muffin Break.

I had never heard of Muffin Break before the weekend just gone, however they have over 50 cafe/bakeries across the UK. Click here for a store finder! I was intrigued when I wandered past. It looked like a mix of all the different well known coffee shops moulded into one, but with a little more rustic class!

I rushed in to see that like most cafes they do a selection of muffins, cakes, slices, cookies and scones; alongside quiches, sandwiches, soups, wraps and paninis. And whilst again similarly to most of these institutions there is plenty of stuff on the menu full of gluten.. there is lots of choice without as well! & not only in sweet form but in savoury too!

Gluten Free Muffins

Both gluten free savoury and gluten free sweet muffins are on the menu and with a high degree of variety at that. The savoury gluten free muffins at Muffin Break include a ‘Ham, Cheese & Tomato’ Muffin, a ‘Mushroom, Parmesan & Pesto’ Muffin and a ‘Sweet Chilli & Corn’ Muffin, amongst many others.

The list of gluten free sweet muffins is even more vast: ‘Apple & Cinnamon’, ‘Banana Choc Chip’, ‘Apricot Cream Cheese’ and ‘Banana Berry’ … and thats only the tip of the iceberg of Muffin Break’s gluten free sweet muffin range!

I had to grab another muffin whilst I was out on this day & went for the gluten free White Chocolate and Raspberry muffin from Muffin Break. I kept it for the following day and was so glad that I did the next day! The muffin was still incredibly soft & moist. The white chocolate flavour was perfect, not too sickly but it still provided the muffin with a somewhat creamy texture. Their were also delicious white chocolate chunks on top which were irresistible; so irresistible I kept eating them before I ate the muffin! The raspberries throughout the muffin tasted really fresh and complimented the white chocolate really well. White chocolate & raspberries definitely is a match made in heaven!

I wish I had another one of those muffins, I think I will find it very hard to choose a different one next time, as the raspberry and white chocolate was amazing. But, all the other flavours sounds amazing, so I would feel like I was missing out if I didn’t give them a try! From what I tried of the gluten free muffins at Muffin Break, they definitely taste as good, if not better than a standard gluten muffin. I would highly highly recommend giving a Muffin Break muffin a try!

Dairy Free Muffins

What is special about Muffin Break is that they also have recently started doing a range of Dairy Free Muffins! Muffins often contain milk and sometimes even other dairy products such as yoghurt. So for Muffin Break to create muffins that can be eaten by those with an dairy intolerance or allergy is really great.

The dairy free range at Muffin Break is again fairly substantial and varies from a ‘Black Forrest’ Muffin to a ‘Banana Coconut’ Muffin & even the ever popular ‘Lemon & Poppyseed’ Muffin, plus lots more. It is great to see more and more free from diets are being considered in the mainstream.

The dairy free muffins looked amazing, however my one issue with them is… the dairy free muffins at Muffin Break are not gluten free!! So they have separate gluten free muffins and dairy free muffins… but they currently do not seem to cater for those who cannot eat gluten & dairy. This is disappointing in a way for Mark & I as we really enjoy being able to share our food! I guess, at least we are both catered for at Muffin Break.. it is a lot, lot better than most places!

Have you found a Muffin Break close by to you & tried their gluten free or dairy free muffins? What did you think of them? Let me know on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram!

I really do hope that more cafes turn towards providing a large range of gluten free options, as well as dairy free options. I just hope that Muffin Break & others can go one step further & make muffins that are Gluten Free AND Dairy Free… not Gluten Free OR Dairy Free!

Thanks for reading,

Becky xxx

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REVIEW: Muffin Break - Gluten Free & Dairy Free Muffins

The Best Gluten Free at Glastonbury Festival 2015

UPDATED GLUTEN FREE GLASTONBURY FOR 2015: So (nearly) every single year it gets to April & everyone starts to get excited for Glastonbury! There is no need to worry if you are Gluten Free at Glastonbury, Glastonbury have got it covered with an amazing choice of places to indulge gluten free! & I have also got it covered with my Gluten Free Glastonbury Guide!

1) The Goan Fish Company

The Fish Curry queue!

All dishes were gluten and dairy free. I had an amazing King Prawn Caldine served with basmati rice. The queue was insane, I waited for about 20 minutes and it was the best wait of my entire weekend. They also serve a spicy Goan Fish Curry, Dhal dishes and for the early birds an epic sounding Smoked Salmon Kedgeree. If you ever get the opportunity to sample The Goan Fish Company’s delights at a festival I would highly highly recommend it.

2) La Bonne Crepe

Delicious gluten free pancakes were devoured all weekend by yours truly. The gluten free pancake is actually called a Galette which is listed as a savoury pancake; but I asked the guys running La Bonne Crepe and they said I could choose any sweet or savoury filling! So whether it’s a nutella and banana pancake or a ham, cheese and mushroom savoury pancake you fancy you can have one. (Galettes are actually made with Buckwheat Flour if you’re interested!) I tried out both sweet and savoury gluten free delights from La Bonne Crepe and would definitely head back there if I found them at another festival.

3) Paellaria 

Now I know that paella can be something that us gluten intolerants can often eat anyway… but not always, and this paella stall was amazing! They clearly stated they were gluten free on all their signs, which was great too. They do both a vegetarian and meat paellas. I can confirm that they both smelt and looked incredible & further still the meat paella was divine. The huge chunks of chorizo flavoured the paella amazingly. This was one of the first dishes I had at Glastonbury and I can safely say I still dream about it often. Check them out if you see their stand at another festival this summer!

4) The Cake Hole

The Cake Hole!

What a find this was! Cake, cakes and more cakes! Not all gluten free but the choice of gluten free cakes was outstanding. From lemon drizzle to carrot cake and even a gluten free sticky toffee pudding with custard! Furthermore they have a huge selection of vegan cakes too, for instance they had a date & walnut cake, a sticky ginger cake and a chocolate cake on offer when I visited. So for those who cannot consume dairy there is something here for you too. The best thing in my opinion about The Cake Hole is that all cakes and puddings are baked right on site… in the field! I don’t know how they do it but they do it brilliantly. The carrot cake was a massive hit in my belly! That is the great thing about Glastonbury its certainly not all burgers and hot dogs, a civilised bowl on pudding with custard is very much an option here.

5) Honeybuns Bakery 

Now I have always been a massive fan of Honeybuns Bakery as you might be able to tell from previous posts, so to find somewhere like this amongst all the mud at Glastonbury made me feel right at home! Not only did their cakes and bakes taste as delicious as ever but Honeybuns had a lovely little covered area with seats where you could relax whilst you chomped down a cake… or two! All gluten free of course and incredibly friendly means a massive thumbs up from me!

6) Smooth Criminals

Smoothie Time!

Now of course smoothies are naturally gluten free anyway but this place deserves a mention. I tried my best to keep my already dodgy digestive system functioning at Glastonbury and Smooth Criminals with their delicious range of smoothies made this much easier. The smoothies are full of fresh and delicious fruit and yoghurt. I particularly enjoyed one called ‘Purple Haze’, which I think was raspberry, blueberry and strawberry. These smoothies were incredibly filling and cooling and made me feel great! ☺

7) La Choza 

As a massive fan of Brighton as a place on this earth I was really excited to get the chance to visit La Choza at Glastonbury who were situated at The Common. I heard they would be serving some tasty gluten free soft corn tortillas and crispy corn tacos, something I love. I love Mexican food so much and so this was something I didn’t want to miss. Yet I did! I never got down to The Common for one reason or another and so I totally missed out. However, I would highly recommend anyone visiting them at a festival this summer or if you are in Brighton go and check them out on Gloucester Road, you won’t regret it!

8) Thai Green Curry from Unknown Named Stand!

Gluten Free Thai Green Curry

I had a delicious Thai Green Chicken Curry from a stand close by to the Somerset Cider bus and the Pyramid Stage but sadly I cannot remember for the life of me what the stall was called! I will mention it anyway however as this was delicious! Served with really flavoursome Thai rice, I couldn’t think of a nicer accompaniment to a bit of Jack White on the Saturday evening! The stall had it clearly stated that gluten free options were available and they were very helpful when I went and asked! I must say everyone was very understanding of gluten free options at Glastonbury so I would urge you to always ask. If you don’t ask, you don’t get!!

I had an amazing time, I urge you to check Glastonbury out too!

Further Gluten Free Glastonbury Highlights:

1) The Peckish Peacock

2) The Thali Café

3) Avalon Café

4) No Bones Jones

5) Buddhafield Café

6) Stewed and Baked

7) Handmade Cornish Pasties 

8) Gandhi’s Flip Flop

9) Buddha Bowls

10) Dosa Deli

11) The Ethical Chef

12) Fat Boxes of Healthy Stuff 

13) Yalla Yalla

14) The Soup Library 

15) Just Desserts 

Glastonbury is a food festival as well as a performing arts festival and so I was pretty excited to see what they could offer me & you definitely should be too!

It is shocking when you arrive at Glastonbury to see literally how many different food stalls exist; it is quite literally off the chain. The variety in cuisine makes you feel like you are on a round the world trip over 5 days. Delicious, authentic and if you take your time… plenty of gluten free goodness is right there.

Obviously the usual dishes that we feel pretty safe eating are all on offer… so jacket potatoes, salads, smoothies, juices, and fruit salads. But when you see your best mate devouring a curry, I can’t be the only one who thinks a banana just doesn’t hack it. (Although submerging my face in half a juicy pineapple from a fruit stall near The Park Stage was scrumptiously memorable!)

I hope if  you are going to Glastonbury you have a great time and eat happily and safely gluten free! Have an awesome time! Please let me know if you attend any other festivals this summer whether the gluten free options are as vast, I would be interested to know

Gluten Free Dolly Parton?

If you ever want to chat drop me a line at bex@glutenfreecuppatea.co.uk or check out the Twitter and Facebook pages.

Thanks for reading, 

Love Becky xxx

Thanks to Gluten Free Glasto on Twitter for helping me out in 2014!

The Best Gluten Free at Glastonbury Festival 2015

The New Holland & Barrett Free From Website, Shops & Ranges!

I’ve been searching so far this year for brands & shops that are driving the need for Free From Foods forward, especially for the gluten free diet. Along my search I came across Holland & Barrett who I know have always supported free from foods; but I didn’t realise how much they supported free from diets until now.

It has thanks to Holland & Barrett & the gang!

 

I know we are quite a way into 2015 now but I still feel like this time of year with Spring in full swing I am still very much into fresh starts. Around this time of year seems to be when a lot of different brands also think about “fresh starts”, or rather, creating new products, new messages & new images.

I’ve got into the habit of constantly searching for new gluten free and free from products wherever I go. Whatever time of day it is, whatever restaurant I visit, whatever supermarket, shop or cafe I venture into; I will always search out their free from sections & menus!

Being so on top of new gluten free products means that the likes of the big four supermarkets have generally failed to excite me over the last couple of years. Minus Tesco bringing out a couple of waves of delicious frozen free from options in the past 6 months or so; there hasn’t been much change down the free from aisle of our best known food stores.

I might be expecting too much, or just dreaming up ideas that aren’t really possible… but product development in the free from space is really important. There are so many people who now follow a free from diet, whether that be gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soya free or another of the 14 allergens (or a combination of many!). With this in mind, it is incredibly important for shops and brands to stay on top of the demand for more free from. Not just for the sake of the free from consumer, but also for their own sake in terms of business… it makes business sense right?!

So I must say last week I was pleasantly surprised by none other than Holland and Barrett! When I was growing up Holland and Barrett only really meant vitamins, minerals & dried fruit to me. It came across as a very medicinal shop.

Over the years, the sort of products that they sell have been developing and becoming more and more popular. With protein based goods, probiotics & the invasion of super foods being central to the success of Holland and Barrett in my view. However, even with so many people turning to trying out these products & hence Holland & Barrett gaining more customers; the whole shopping experience to me still felt very medicinal… until now.

The Holland & Barrett Free From Website allows you to refine your search really well.

I recently went onto the Holland and Barrett website and noticed they have completely recreated the look of the Free From Foods section. It is now colourful, inviting and most importantly easy to understand. It allows you to refine your search to only include foods free from certain ingredients. It has a filter for 19 different free from products including the 14 Most Common Allergens.

A section of the main Free From Site from Holland & Barrett – really easy to follow.

Not only has the website been dramatically improved in terms of easily accessing free from items, they have also added over 200 additional free from ranges to the site & their stores! This is great news for everyone! Now Holland & Barrett Free From is no longer solely full of standard products that basically help you get by everyday; they have a huge range of different products too. They even have a mix of store cupboard, refrigerated & frozen products.

They are also in the process of completely changing their look in stores, particularly in the free from area. Again, a great way to freshen up the free from space & make it more inviting for the consumer. I have recently seen that Holland & Barrett are starting to open a few purely Free From stores! This is exactly what I have been waiting for from a shop as big as Holland & Barrett!

I know this isn’t a post with loads of different delicious pictures of gluten free food all over it, but I am so excited about the prospect of entirely free from shops, that I just had to share this with you guys!

What do you think of the idea? & have you been into a Holland & Barrett recently and noticed any changes?

Let me know by leaving a comment below or on Facebook / Twitter.

I really recommend going onto the Holland & Barrett Free From Website and having a play around. It is really straightforward to select what allergen you might like to remove (or numerous ones) & find what foods are suitable for you. You might even find some new exciting brands!

Holland & Barrett Free From Website: http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/info/free-from/
Holland & Barrett Free From Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HBFreeFrom
Holland & Barrett Free From Twitter: https://twitter.com/HBFreeFrom

Now that Holland & Barrett have boosted forward the Free From trend in 2015 we can await some other big companies following. I will be on the look out!!

Thanks for reading,

Becky xxx

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The New Holland & Barrett Free From Website, Shops & Ranges!

REVIEW: BB Muffins Gluten Free

I recently checked out BB Muffins for the first time in years to find a delicious BB Muffins Gluten Free Range! From the classic Blueberry Muffin to the tastebud tingling Apple & Cinnamon Muffin; I grabbed a couple of BB Muffins Gluten Free delights and gave them a try!

So on a recent trip to Chelmsford, whilst I was back having a few days down south, I was at a loose end as to where to grab a cake & a drink. Of course, Chelmsford has Costa, Caffe Nero, Starbucks & all those other places that offers us gluten free eaters a chocolate brownie etc. But, I wanted something different. 

When I came across another popular chain, BB Muffins, I wasn’t holding out for anything. I have very rarely eaten a muffin ever since my gluten intolerance took hold, and if I have it hasn’t been great.

But what I saw on a couple of posters at BB Muffins, made sure a huge smile crept across my entire face. 

You what? Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins?!

Gluten Free Apple and Cinnamon Muffins? Hell Yes!

Gluten Free Muffins from a dedicated muffin cafe?! Yes please. I still await the day Millies Cookies go gluten free or even the day I can get a cheeky iced bun from Greggs! I know these might not be the healthiest of places but damn, they taste good and are super convenient!

Anyway, enough of ‘where isn’t serving gluten free yet’ and more on the wonderful BB Muffins! They have currently got 2 different gluten free muffins on the menu. The Blueberry Muffin and the Apple & Cinnamon Muffin – I tried both as I just couldn’t resist!

The Gluten Free Blueberry muffin, I initially had a sample of at the front of the store. Since when are gluten free samples given out? My lucky day I think. You will be shocked to know that this was my first ever Blueberry muffin, it was amazing. It was incredibly moist & soft. It wasn’t even slightly crumbly or dry like some shop bought cakes & muffins can be (especially gluten free). There were blueberries throughout the muffin which tasted amazing. I have to say I fell in love with this Blueberry muffin, & really do hope I can grab another one soon at a branch local to Manchester!

Beautifully moist Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins.

 One of my favourite flavour combinations has got to be apple and cinnamon. I love apple strudels, cobblers & of course a really cinnamon infested apple crumble is the highlight of any meal for me. So when I noticed a tasty looking selection of gluten free apple & cinnamon muffins at the heart of the BB Muffins counter, I knew I had to take one home with me!

The apple & cinnamon muffin from BB Muffins blew my mind. Not only is it gluten free but it literally tastes like a dessert. The aroma you initially get from the muffin is enough in itself, but then, take a bite & its definitely a muffin on another level! It’s soft & moist just like the blueberry muffin, but the top is ever so slightly crisped up to perfection, to make you really feel like this is an apple crumble muffin! The cinnamon flavour is definitely not overpowering, it blends with the apple taste very well, as you would expect!

Gluten Free Apple & Cinnamon Muffins, what a delight!

I was seriously impressed with BB Muffins from this trip. To be able to create two amazing muffins that are gluten free and great tasting is brilliant. I love the choice of flavours they selected for the gluten free muffins too, it is often too easy to jump straight towards a double chocolate muffin (which is definitely not my favourite flavour!). If you are on a gluten free diet, looking for tasty gluten free cakes / muffins when you are out and about, I would highly recommend popping down to your local BB Muffins. I know they are not everywhere, but they do have plenty of stores across the UK & Ireland so keep your eyes open for them now.

One thing I do wish was that they could provide muffins that were both gluten free & dairy free. Whilst I can eat dairy, Mark cannot, & it is a shame that we can’t enjoy a tasty muffin from BB Muffins together. Hopefully, with the increase in dairy free products on the market, more places will start to provide for not only the gluten free eaters but the dairy free eaters too. Fingers crossed.

Have you found anywhere close by to you that sells gluten free and/or dairy free muffins?

Or, have you visited BB Muffins to try a gluten free muffin?

Let me know on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram!

I really hope that more places like BB Muffins follow their good example. Sometimes following a tiring day shopping all you fancy is a convenient place to stop for something sweet. Having a place like BB Muffins that I trust and enjoy gluten free is really great news. Lets see if other places can follow & break away from the standard ‘gluten free brownie!’

Thanks for reading,

Becky xxx

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REVIEW: BB Muffins Gluten Free