FreeFrom food – food free of gluten, wheat, dairy, soya, nuts and other allergens – has become seriously big business in the retail sector with the market set to grow to over half a billion pounds in the next three years.
But the rapidly growing number of those who either need or choose to eat ‘freefrom’ have long complained that, while good freefrom food is now relatively easy to find in the retail sector, eating out ‘freefrom’ remains difficult and frustrating. This is partly due to the lack of choice but mainly because so few people in the food service industry understand about food allergy and coeliac disease.
The FreeFrom Eating Out Awards were launched in advance of the new allergen declaration regulations coming into force in December this year. They are designed to encourage allergen awareness and to celebrate excellence in the provision of gluten-free, dairy-free and low-allergen food in the food service sector.
Speaking of the shortlist, awards director, Michelle Berriedale-Johnson commented:
‘We are really delighted with the range of eateries and companies who have entered the awards – and excited by the enthusiasm and expertise in ‘freefrom’ shown by many of them. Complying with the new allergen regulations will be a tough ask for many establishments but the shortlist shows just how many of them are already going about it with a will.’
The shortlist includes nationwide chains – such as Pizza Express and Costa Coffee – tiny cafés in Camden Lock, B&B’s in the Lake District and university colleges – while the ‘freefrom products manufactured for food service’ range from breakfast cereals to Bakewell tarts and gluten-free beer.
Winners and presentations
The winners will be announced at a presentation party at 4.30pm on the 18th November, the first day of the Food matters Live event at Excel in London’s Docklands.
The presentations will be made by awards patron, celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson.
THE SHORTLIST
B&Bs and guest houses
The Belfry at Yarcombe (Devon)
Ravestone Manor (Lake District)
Stonecroft Country Guesthouse (Peak District)
Vegetarian Lakeland Living (Lake District)
Cafés, coffee shops, tearooms and takeaways
- sponsored by Nairns
Individual cafés, coffee shops, tearooms and takeaways
Cafe Society (Huddersfield)
Cookies and Scream (London)
Feed me Primal (London)
Heaven Scent (Kinross, Scotland)
The Little Larder (St Leonards on Sea)
Louisiana Chilli Shack (London)
Love in a Cup (Somerset)
The Real Food Cafe, Tyndrum (Perthshire, Scotland)
Tea 42 (Manchester)
Word of mouth cafe (Evesham)
Coffee house chains
Costa Coffee
Food/drink manufactured for food service
- sponsored by Genon Laboratories
BFree plain bagels
BFree Multiseed bagels
Big Oz Organics gluten free cereal selection pack
Byron Bay Strawberries and clotted cream cookies
Ceria gluten free batter mix
Christine’s Puddings pastry cases
Daura Damm (beer)
Delicious Alchemy Ginger Cake
Glamour Puds Bakewell Tart
Glebe Farm GF oat muesli
Green’s Beers India Pale Ale (beer)
Green’s Premium Pils (beer)
Mongozo Premium Pilsner (beer)
The Handmade Cake Company Caramel Heaven
The Handmade Cake Company Chocolate Brownie
The Handmade Cake Company Katie’s fruity cereal bar
Venice Bakery freefrom pizza base
Westerham Brewery William Wilberforce Freedom Ale (beer)
Yumish Ten Acre the day sweet and sour became friends crisps
Pub Restaurants
- sponsored by Green’s Gluten-free Beers
The Alford Arms (Hemel Hempstead)
The Peacock (Warwickshire)
The Ship Inn (Downham Market)
Tea42 (Manchester)
The Truscott Arms (London)
Restaurants
- sponsored by Riso Gallo
Individual Restaurants
2 Oxford Place (Leeds)
El Piano (Leeds)
Filmore and Union (Wetherby)
Marine Hotel, Ballycastle (Northern Ireland)
Oscar & Bentley’s (Cantebury)
Peak Restaurant (Llanberis)
Vozar’s (London)
Yorkshire Meatball Company (Harrogate)
Restaurant Chains
ASK Italian
Pizza Express
Schools, college and universities
- sponsored by Thomas Ridley Foodservice
Caterham School
Fitzwilliam College
HC3S (Hampshire County Council Catering Services)
Helenswood Academy
Plymouth University
St. James Schools
Southampton Solent University
For more information click here
The FoodMatters Live event at Excel in November is a new annual event exploring the links between health, food and nutrition – one of the most important challenges of our time.
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