REVIEW: Henleys Fish & Chip Shop, Wivenhoe - Gluten Free Fish and Chips

In Essex & want Gluten Free Fish and Chips? Wivenhoe, the village I grew up in is home to the BEST Fish & Chip Shop for Gluten Free. All day everyday, Gluten Free Fish and Chips are available! Henleys is definitely the one for Gluten Free!

I was sitting last week pondering over when I last had a safe and delicious fish & chips dinner from a fish & chip shop. The answer I came up with was never. I haven’t eaten fish & chips from a takeaway safely since before I found out I was intolerant to gluten.

Back in the day my family used to have fish & chips every Saturday night and I used to love it. It brings back such happy memories of the past when I could sit and feel normal, eating identical food to everyone else.

Strangely for some reason the other day I was on my local fish & chip shop’s website (Henleys of Wivenhoe), a place I thought was completely out of bounds to me and noticed the line: ‘Gluten Free ALWAYS available!’ What?!?! Have I been missing out for so long for no reason I wondered!

I immediately emailed Henleys asking if this was true and for some further details regarding what ‘Gluten Free’ meant to them. I received an incredibly friendly reply soon after stating that they used an approved gluten free batter, a separate fryer and keep all serving tongs sterile, in a separate labelled container. They said that they could offer any fish on the menu with a gluten free batter. I was really happy with this reply, they told me to just give them a ring prior to coming to get my fish & chips, as it would take about 20 minutes… fine by me! They even offered to show me the whole gluten free cooking process if I wished.

Gluten Free Heaven!

So yesterday evening I decided it was time to finally give gluten free fish and chips a go again. I called up Henleys and ordered some Scampi & chips for Mum, Haddock & chips for Dad and then…. I ordered a GLUTEN FREE Hake & chips for me! So not only did I get gluten free but they serve up one of my favourite fish, Hake! Hake has such a subtle sweet flavour, you should definitely give it a try over cod sometime if you haven’t before.

About 20 minutes later I drove up to Henleys (a 30 second drive from home!) and my fish & chips were ready and waiting. They had placed the gluten free in a separate box and bag from the other fish and chips and seemed to be very aware of the importance of keeping the gluten free separate from the rest. Their attitude towards gluten free was incredibly reassuring and I was a very happy girl before I even got to see or taste my dinner!

Upon arriving home I got all the fish and chips out of the boxes and paper ready to eat. My hake and chips looked amazing. The hake was a really good size and the batter was golden – identical in colour and texture to the regular fish and chips the others were having. The huge portion of chips looked great too. At this point I was incredibly excited and had the tartar, ketchup, salt & vinegar at the ready… ready to destroy that gluten free hake!

Now of course I guess I should tell you what my taste buds thought! Well let me tell you they were, and still are incredibly happy. The fish was delicious, it was soft and flakey and incredibly sweet just as hake should be. It was perfectly cooked. The batter was the perfect level of crispness and was the perfect amount for my fish, their was not an unnecessary amount of excess crunch which can so often be the case with battered fish. It really was delightful, if I could have had another one an hour later I definitely would have! Similarly the chips were really tasty, nice and chunky, and full of flavour. They also lacked the greasiness that so many portions of chips often have.

For the first time ever I think I completely finished my entire plate of fish and chips. I couldn’t even fit all the chips on my plate first time round but went back and refilled my plate with a second helping, a definite good decision.

Basically I am an incredibly happy girl after last night and cannot wait to have another portion of gluten free fish and chips again… next week! It was such a lovely surprise to find out that Henleys offer a gluten free option. Furthermore, beyond just offering a gluten free option they showed me that they really do care about their intolerant and coeliac customers.

So if you are ever in the area head down to Henleys in Wivenhoe and grab yourself a delicious portion of gluten free fish and chips, you certainly won’t regret it.

If you know of any other local restaurants or cafes that offer up gluten free treats in the Wivenhoe/Colchester area be sure to let me know!

Thanks for reading,

Becky xx

http://www.henleysfishandchips.co.uk/index.html

REVIEW: Henleys Fish & Chip Shop, Wivenhoe - Gluten Free Fish and Chips

REVIEW: Urban Angel Edinburgh - Gluten Free & Dairy Free Cafe

An amazing spot for Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch or just some cake in Edinburgh has got to be Urban Angel. It not only serves delicious food, it also has a wealth of gluten free options. Urban Angel Edinburgh is the place to go for great grub! Urban Angel Edinburgh is also featured in my Guide of the Best Gluten Free Destinations in Edinburgh, click here to check it out.

Urban Angel, Edinburgh

Earlier this year Mark & I, had a week away in Edinburgh. We explored a whole host of different restaurants that were suitable for those following a Gluten Free Diet (me!) as well as those following a Dairy Free Diet (Mark!).

We had some amazing meals out, & I would highly recommend Edinburgh for anyone on a gluten free diet, I didn’t struggle anywhere. Whilst we were in Edinburgh, we started to form a list of places we had heard were great for those on a gluten free diet and chose a few to visit. We decided that for our final meal before our train journey home we would go out for lunch to a place called Urban Angel.

We popped in to Urban Angel a few days before we went for lunch to check it out (I always like to do this if I’m close by). It was heaving with people & the staff were incredibly helpful. One lady explained that nearly everything is or can be adapted to be gluten free, as well as dairy free. She also told me where they get their gluten free bread from. They get it from Archipelago Bakery run by the lovely Caroline Walsh. It is a local bakery that you might like to visit in Edinburgh too, they have plenty of gluten free options. 

So of course after seeing Urban Angel so busy a few days previous, on our final day in Edinburgh, we made sure we had booked a table to ensure we got to enjoy our lunch! (This is something I would highly recommend, it was only a Tuesday lunch time when we visited!)

Urban Angel have a brunch menu (which runs all day!), a lunch menu, cakes (always delicious gluten free options) & a specials menu each day. They also do amazing juices & smoothies.

Breakfast Smoothie

As brunch enthusiasts, we both chose off the bunch menu. First off I got a Breakfast Smoothie which was almond milk, blueberries, banana, honey + almond butter. It was delicious, & a perfect accompaniment to my food. 

I couldn’t wait to try the gluten free bread. So I ordered Scrambled Eggs, Avocado & Smoked Haddock on toast. I guarantee this bread will blow your mind. It was so flavoursome, I can’t actually think of any bread I have had that beats this. If I lived in Edinburgh I would be down Archipelago Bakery all the time buying it for myself! The scrambled eggs were actually amazing too, who would have thought something so simple can be made so amazing. I felt like I was eating the best eggs around. The avocado sliced on top was a really nice touch, I really liked how it was presented. Oh, & avocado is one of man’s greatest creations! Finally, the smoked haddock… insane! I have never had smoked haddock within my brunch before. I often have it in a fish pie but rarely any other time. It had a delightful strong flavour & flaked to perfection. 

Mark went for poached eggs, smoked salmon & avocado on toast… another brilliant choice. Those poached eggs had lovely runny yolks when broken in to! The smoked salmon was amazing too, and plenty of it! Needless to say he devoured the whole plate!

From looking around Urban Angel I could see some amazing food being eaten by other people too. The presentation of every plate was perfect. Urban Angel manage to take simple classic dishes to another level. I have no doubt that everyone who visits will want to visit again! 

I cannot wait to next visit Edinburgh, I will definitely be heading straight for Urban Angel again! I would highly recommend it to everyone & anyone. It is a great experience, perfect location, helpful staff & delicious gluten free food – what more could you want?!

Let me know if you do visit or if you have any other recommendations of places I should visit for tasty gluten free food! Just leave a comment below, or on Facebook/Twitter. 
Urban Angel is located 121 Hanover Street, Edinburgh, EH2 1DJ.

Thanks for reading,

Becky xxx

REVIEW: Urban Angel Edinburgh - Gluten Free & Dairy Free Cafe

The Allergy & Free From Show 2015 - Free Tickets!!

The Allergy & Free From Show 2015 is happening across the weekend of July 3rd – July 5th. It is a chance to find new Free From brands & pick up plenty of freebies! & best of all I have FREE TICKETS TO GIVEAWAY! CLICK HERE!

The Allergy & Free From Show 2015 showcases hundreds of Free From Brands all there to make a difference to your lives & provide you with the very best Free From food. Whether you are Gluten Free, Wheat Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Soya Free, Nut Free or anything else… there is really something for everyone.

Click here for FREE TICKETS, A UDI’S TIGER BREAD DISCOUNT & FREE TICKETS FOR ALL YOUR FRIENDS & FAMILY!

The Allergy & Free From Show is an event I would never ever miss. I love attending & meeting all the people that make it possible for me & so many other people I know, have a happy, healthier life. Whilst the big brands such as Tesco, Sainsburys, Schär & Udi’s (who sponsor the show) are all present; there are even more unique smaller brands that you might have never heard of! I GUARANTEE, you will come away with your mind blown at what really is out there for you, if you have to live a Free From lifestyle. I’ve been going for years and still find new exciting brands every year, hence I am so excited for the show!!

There are also plenty of talks taking place at the show from the very best individuals in the business. The Schär Learning Centre hosts talks throughout the day which are exceptional. I would highly recommend checking out Dr Nick Read’s talk named: ‘IBS: Whats it all about and what to do about it?’ If you suffer from IBS like me, it will definitely be of great interest. You also have the chance throughout the Allergy & Free From Show 2015 to speak to specialists who might be able to help & give advice to you about any digestive issues you might suffer with. These people are specialists in the industry… it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to speak to such folk… for free!

Sainsbury’s also run a live cooking area where you can sit and watch top chefs prepare Free From foods & create delicious recipes. I would highly recommend resting your legs part way through the Allergy & Free From Show, and giving this a watch. It is well worth it & really interesting.

 The Allergy & Free From Show 2015 is co-hosted alongside the Just V Show 2015 & the Love Natural Love Organic Show 2015. This is also great as many of the different brands attending for these shows also offer a lot in terms of Free From. For instance, the Just V Show is full of Vegan brands which are in tern both Dairy Free & Egg Free. (Plenty of Dairy Free Cheese to try… they rock!!)

Anyway as I said, it is one of my favourite events of the entire year and I really would recommend you attending. It is well worth registering for a free ticket! I mean, you might suddenly decide to go last minute, so register for a ticket today by clicking this link…. it is completely free & you will really find so many freebies & discounts within the show… I guarantee you will come away wealthier than before you went!! (in food & knowledge!)

Another bonus of signing up is that because Udi’s are Sponsoring the Allergy & Free From Show 2015, when you sign up for your free ticket… you also will receive a voucher immediately for money off their delicious Gluten Free, Dairy Free Tiger Bread Loaf, which you can use in supermarkets. (I’ve already used mine!)

Have you ever been to the Allergy Show before? Are you going this year? What are you looking forward to? Please let me know by leaving a comment below, or on Facebook/Twitter. & if you have any questions regarding the Allergy & Free From Show 2015, please let me know.

Thanks for reading & see you there?!

Becky xxx

Click here for FREE TICKETS & A UDI’S TIGER BREAD DISCOUNT!

• 
  

  Click here for a review of The Allergy & Free From Show 2014 North

  
  


• 
  

  Click here for a review of The Allergy & Free From Show 2014 London

  
  


• 
  

  Click here for a review of The Allergy & Free From Show 2013 London

  
  

 

The Allergy & Free From Show 2015 - Free Tickets!!

REVIEW: Amisa Organic Gluten Free Pancake Mix

Pancakes are one of my favourite things to eat in the whole world. I recently bought a Gluten Free Pancake Mix  made with buckwheat & wholemeal rice flour from Amisa Organic. I have to say, these are the best pancakes ever!

Growing up, pancakes were reserved for Shrove Tuesday & pretty much no other day. My Mum used to just make a standard mixture using flour, eggs & milk which I cannot fault.. I still use it sometimes (with gluten free flour these days of course!)

Nevertheless, I am always up for trying different types of pancakes made with different ingredients… so long as they are still Gluten Free! The Amisa Organic Gluten Free Pancake Mix caught my eye when I was in Holland & Barrett recently. It’s been a good few months since Pancake Day & I liked the idea of the mix being made with a mix of buckwheat & rice flour. I thought this might give more flavour to the pancakes, compared to the regular plain flour that I use. When using plain gluten free flour I feel like the pancakes are there purely to facilitate the filling; I hoped that this gluten free pancake mix would provide more flavour with the use of these different wholegrain flours.

Similarly to making any pancake mix, to the dry mix you just need to add milk & an egg. However, it also says to make these pancakes egg free/vegan it would be fine to add just soya milk & no egg at all!

The box has two separate bags of the gluten free pancake mix in it, so you might just like to open one bag for two people & leave the other bag for another pancake session. Alternatively you could use both bags & make tons of pancakes! (We used 1 1/2 bags!)

It is so easy to mix together, and you don’t even need a whisk, a fork is definitely sufficient if you haven’t got one to hand.

Gluten Free Pancake Heaven… tuck in!

We made a rather large stack of pancakes using the gluten free pancake mix. They cooked within minutes in the frying pan. They are easy to flip over, and come out golden. For me it was nice to have a stack of thicker, more american style pancakes. I have been so used to eating thin crepe like pancakes in the past (which I still love!), but these slightly thicker ones really hit the spot!

They had a great flavour that I think came from the buckwheat flour. I have eaten quite a few thin pancake style galettes in recent months which have a similar sort of flavour. It’s nice for the pancakes to have depth in flavour, without it being sweet. Heck, I put enough delicious sweet toppings on my gluten free pancakes, I don’t want the pancake itself to taste sweet too!

My pancake toppings on this occasion were:

• Homemade Cinnamon Apple Compote & Pecan Nuts


• Homemade ‘Healthy’ (3 Ingredient) Nutella, Bananas & Strawberries

I used to be a huge fan of lemon & sugar and golden syrup. But these days I am having to seriously cut down the refined sugar in my diet. I really think the toppings I have now are the best! (Mark agrees.. he does add some extra maple syrup to his too though!) It is good to be able to make your own toppings from scratch & know exactly what is in them.

We had a few left over & kept them in an air tight container & had them for lunch, warmed up two days later. They still tasted amazing! I really want to try this gluten free pancake mix with some savoury fillings too. I remember when I was younger I made filled savoury pancakes at school. We filled them with ham & cheese, topped them in a sauce & baked in the oven! I really think these pancakes would work really well like that too! (Watch this space I guess!)

Where can you buy Amisa Organic Gluten Free Pancake Mix?

You can grab the Gluten Free Pancake Mix from a range of different places across the UK and beyond. The likes of Ocado, Planet Organic, Real Foods, Goodness Direct and Holland & Barrett allow you to buy it online. Plenty of Supermarkets stock it as well. Additionally a HUGE amount of local, independent shops across the UK also sell it. Click here to find one close to you.

Have you tried the Amisa Organic Gluten Free Pancake Mix? What did you think? Do you have any other gluten free pancake mixes you like? Or do you always make your own from scratch? Let me know by leaving a comment below, or on Facebook/Twitter.

Thanks for reading,

Becky xxx

REVIEW: Amisa Organic Gluten Free Pancake Mix

Vegan Parmesan Cheese from Violife! (Dairy Free)

Vegan/Dairy Free Cheeses are becoming more common across the UK & beyond. Often we are offered dairy free cheese spreads or a cheddar style cheese… but now Violife have created Vegan Parmesan!

I have loved Violife cheese for quite a long time now. With Mark unable to eat any dairy cheeses, we are always on the hunt for dairy free alternatives! Violife have created such a vast range of different flavoured dairy free/vegan cheeses, all of which are perfect for so many different dishes.

So in terms of Hard Dairy Free/ Vegan Cheeses, Violife already offer these flavours:

• Original

• Tomato and Basil

• Herbs

• Peppers

• Hot Peppers

• Cheddar Flavour

• Mushrooms

• Olives

• Olive Oil

• Pizza Flavour

• Mozzarella Flavour

• Smoked Flavour

They also offer a wide range of Soft Dairy Free/ Vegan Cheeses to enjoy:

• Original

• Tomato and Basil

• Herbs

• Cucumber and Dill

• Hot Peppers

So versatile, we use it in everything!

 

My local Vegan Cafe, V Revolution in Manchester stocks every single flavour of Violife so I have been fortunate enough to try a lot of these. We love grating it into pasta dishes. We love making hot melted cheese sandwiches for lunch with it. We love it on pizza. We love it on crackers. Basically, whenever you fancy cheese Violife gives you the option, even if you do need to be on a dairy free diet. I personally am not dairy free, only Mark is, but I live on Violife & I love it!

For me, a Dairy Free/ Vegan Parmesan is definitely something missing from the market. There are some great other brands such as Mozzarisella that offer delicious options in terms of dairy free soft mozzarella style cheeses & even dairy free soft blue cheeses, but Dairy Free/ Vegan parmesan was an uninhabited area! I am so excited to try this as soon as it becomes available online or in stores.

Where can I get Violife Dairy Free/ Vegan Parmesan?

I will let you know when I find it & what I think of it

What types of cheese do you miss if you are having to live on a dairy free / lactose free diet? What is you favourite brand of vegan / dairy free cheese? Please let me know by leaving a comment below, or on Facebook/Twitter.

Thanks for reading,

Becky xxx

Vegan Parmesan Cheese from Violife! (Dairy Free)

REVIEW: Choc Chick - Dairy Free Chocolate Making Kit - Gluten Free + Raw + Refined Sugar Free!

Making your very own chocolates and choosing how they look & taste, sounds like every child’s dream. A dream that is left unfulfilled by everyone bar those who become chocolatier! However Choc Chick have created the most amazing gluten free, dairy free, raw chocolate making kit which I guarantee you will love. It’s fun, super tasty, quick & also makes the perfect gift!

So Mark is a massive chocolate fan, but his lactose intolerance means it isn’t always easy for him to enjoy a wide selection of different chocolates. However, a couple of months ago I saw this amazing chocolate making kit in the Holland & Barrett More Store in Chester. I had to grab one! However, as you might have seen from a video on my YouTube Channel… I ended up giving my Choc Chick Chocolate Making Kit away to a friend as a gift! I’m not sure how impressed Mark was by this at the time… but luckily we have a new Choc Chick Chocolate Making Kit now… & so far we both have given it a huge thumbs up!

The idea of making chocolate is pretty exciting to me. It’s like being in Charlie & the Chocolate Factory or something. If I had the chance to make chocolate when I was a kid I would have gone crazy! Now 24, I was still pretty darn excited to give this a try. Especially with it being both gluten free & dairy free… perfect combo for Mark & I.

So, the chocolate making kit comes with Organic Raw Cacao Butter, Organic Raw Cacao Powder, Sweet Freedom (100% Natural Sweetener made from 100% fruit), a recipe booklet & some mini baking cases. This is literally all you need to make chocolate… & I didn’t even use my baking cases!

The chocolate making kit is dairy free, gluten free, refined sugar free, soya free & egg free. It is incredibly versatile too. From reading the mini recipe book & then looking on their website, I got so many good ideas of how I could make little chocolates for us both to enjoy anytime that we wanted them.

Not one for going just for a basic plain chocolate… I decided to make something a little different. I added two extra ingredients to my dairy free chocolates… banana and peanut butter! Before starting the chocolate making process I cut up a couple of bananas. I then sliced each piece into two & put all the pieces of parchment paper in the freezer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes I sandwiched two pieces together with a dollop of peanut butter & put them in the freezer again to firm up (15 minutes is perfect!)

Whilst the banana & peanut butter chilled in the freezer I started the chocolate making process. It is so simple! I melted the cacao butter in a bowl over a pan of water on a low heat. I then mixed in my cacao powder. & Finally I added my Sweet Freedom. If you wanted to you could just pour the mixture into your little cases like this and freeze them for simple chocolates, BUT I had other ideas!

I left the chocolate mixture to cool slightly (only 10 minutes) so it would thicken, then I dipped each of my banana/peanut butter pieces onto the chocolate, coating them completely! I put them back in the freezer on the parchment paper to chill for 10 minutes… & like magic… my homemade banana/peanut butter chocolates were ready! They went down a treat!!

I would highly recommend grabbing a chocolate making kit from Choc Chick for so so many reasons:

1) It is great to make your own chocolates as you know exactly what is in them… no nasties.

2) These chocolates are actually GF in more than just Gluten Free, they are Guilt Free too!

3) They are Dairy Free, Soya Free, Egg Free, Refined Sugar Free & Raw too!

4) The chocolate tastes amazing!

5) The recipe booklet shows how you can make lots of different things with the kit, beyond just chocolates.

6) Perfect fun for big kids and little kids (they make a childrens chocolate making kit too!)

7) Great gift for you or a friend!

Where can you buy a Choc Chick Chocolate Making Kit?

You can buy directly from Choc Chick online, in some John Lewis, in Whole Foods, Planet Organic, Harvey Nichols & a whole host of independent places. Click here for a list of stockists.

Have you ever tried making your own chocolate? How did it go? Have you tried a Choc Chick chocolate making kit before? How did you get on? Would love to know your thoughts on chocolate making & also how you find it if you are dairy free etc… is finding tasty chocolates you can eat a problem? 

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

Thanks for reading,

Becky xxx

REVIEW: Choc Chick - Dairy Free Chocolate Making Kit - Gluten Free + Raw + Refined Sugar Free!

Ed"s Diner - Gluten Free Menu

So I’m sure by now a lot of you folks have heard that the amazing american style diner… Ed’s Diner, now has a completely gluten free menu that is accredited by Coeliac UK. Well here it is!

So for some reason Manchester doesn’t currently have an Ed’s Diner… what a joke! I used to love visiting the original Ed’s Easy Diner in Soho back when I did eat gluten. I’d enjoy milkshakes & burgers all day long! Nowadays I thought such places were out of bounds for those of us who have to live gluten free. However, this is anything but true!

Ed’s Diner have created an extensive menu filled with everything you could ever ask for in an American Diner… ALL GLUTEN FREE & ALL ACCREDITED BY COELIAC UK!

From Hot Dogs (in Gluten Free Hot Dog Buns) to Juicy Burgers (in Gluten Free Burger Buns), & all with a range of delicious toppings. For once we don’t just have to go for the plain burger or the plain hot dog… hows about a Pulled Pork covered Hot Dog?! Yes!

Such a range of delicious fries too. Sweet Potato Fries, Chilli Fries, ‘Wet’ Fries, Cheesy Fries, even Atomic Fries! There really is fries for everyone.

Ed’s Diner Breakfasts are also not a problem being Gluten Free. Breakfast Rolls & Breakfast Burgers are all good at Ed’s!

Oh & don’t think that Ed’s Diner have forgotten about Gluten Free desserts, cause they haven’t. Ice Cream Sundaes feature strongly! Oh & the MILKSHAKES!! 8 different single flavour shakes, 4 double flavour shakes & the amazing Nutella Shake too. I really am getting very hungry talking about this!

With well over 30 Ed’s Diner scattered across the UK, if you haven’t been already it is definitely time to get down to one. Click here for locations. I am trying to think when I will be close by one next, & scheduling it into the diary!

Have you tried out the Gluten Free (Coeliac UK accredited) menu at Ed’s Diner? If so what did you think? If you haven’t, does the menu make you want to go? Let me know by leaving a comment below. Or on Facebook/Twitter.

Thanks for reading,

Becky xxx

Ed"s Diner - Gluten Free Menu