Going Against The Grain: This gluten free-er went to market…

…And went ‘eeeeeeeeeeeeeee’ with joy, all the way home (for once). Usually, whenever people suggest going to a food market on a Saturday stroll or checking out some kind (non-specialist) food fair, my heart sinks. There is very little fun to be had in wandering around tables full of delicious looking food for an hour or so while everyone stuffs their faces with a plethora of products that I can’t eat. So imagine my joy when, during a recent Saturday, I found myself at Borough Market in London where I discovered there was not just one, but several, gluten-free stalls.

Obviously, I took my time perusing them all before I settled on one, but eventually my choice was The Free-From Bakehouse, which had by far the biggest range of items available. Their sweet treats included cupcakes, but also cookies, several types of loaf cake, shortbread, brownies and flapjacks, gingerbread men and treacle tart; but what also hooked me in was their choice of savoury tarts. After much deliberation I went for a Butternut Squash and Feta Cheese one, which was utterly delectable and I inhaled the thing in about three bites. The flavours were great but more importantly, the pastry was a perfect consistency; flaky and soft rather than stodgy and crumbly as some gluten-free tarts sometimes fall into the trap of being. It wasn’t the biggest tart ever and at £3.50 each my wallet wouldn’t be too happy if I was buying them on a regular basis, but as an occasional lunch treat I’d definitely get one again – especially if I was taking it away with me and could have a bit of salad with it.

The positive of it’s small(ish) size was that there was still room for a naughty treat after, and I went for a childhood favourite of a gingerbread man – which I haven’t actually found any gluten-free versions of previously. It didn’t have the same consistency that the ‘normal’ gingerbread men of my youth had; it was slightly more puffy. But the ginger flavour was definitely there and with its little iced face smiling up at me, I couldn’t help but be won over.

Yes, Borough Market can get insanely crowded, and yes, the products there are a bit pricier than you’d find in the supermarket – but that’s nothing new for market stalls in general. The excitement of having a pick of gluten-free foods and the great tastes of the stuff I tried mean I’ll definitely be venturing back again. If you want to find out more about my new discovery, The Free-From Bakehouse is at Borough Market every Wednesday-Saturday, or visit them online at thefreefrombakehouse.com. Know any other markets that have some great gluten-free stalls? Let me know your picks by emailing healthy@therivergroup.co.uk.

Summary

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Going Against The Grain: This gluten free-er went to market...

Description

Gluten-free and fed up of feeling left out at food markets?

Author

Chantelle Pattermore

Publisher Name

Healthy

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