Gluten free options abound

A media release for a new book, Gluten Free Feasts by Melanie Persson (aka The Very Hungry Coeliac) arrived in my inbox a few days ago. Distributed by Hardie Grant Books it contains some tasty looking gluten free recipes.

The arrival of the email led me to thinking about gluten free options that are available to the everyday consumer, from the food stores to cafés, restaurants, and even your local chippie.

The range of GF products seems to have grown exponentially in recent years, and that is a very good thing for those who want to remove gluten from their diet.

I want to be very clear, having a desire to remove gluten from your diet is quite different to being coeliac and therefore, essentially allergic to gluten. While many people find significant health benefits in removing gluten from their diet, for a long time it was seen as a bit of a trendy diet, and I know some coeliacs who were often treated as being from the trend-diet group.

How things have changed in recent times. Restaurants and cafes who take the matter seriously will ask diners if they are gluten free (GF) or coeliac and this helps them make sure they don’t accidentally serve up an allergic reaction to someone. For example, a fish and chip shop may have a dedicated GF fryer so there’s no cross-contamination.

We have been paying extra attention to GF offerings in recent weeks and found while some venues offer a limited range of gluten free products others offer a huge selection. Of course, it is difficult for a traditional artisan bakery or pie shop to offer a large range of options, their main business is making and selling hand-crafted traditional breads and pastries so don’t expect lots of GF options if you choose to buy your morning tea treat from such a place.

However, one place you will find lots of GF options for your morning tea treat is Victus on Bridge Street. GF is a specialty of theirs and they have everything from GF sweet treats and cheese scones to many dishes from their made-to-order menu that are either gluten free or there’s a GF option.

Restaurants and cafes can shine in this GF arena. Take one of our favourite restaurants Hopgood’s & Co Restaurant and Bar as an example. When we dined there recently there were only three or four items on the whole menu where a GF option wasn’t available. GF bread has to be one of the biggest disappointments when dining out, but not at Hopgood’s. Their focaccia style bread is faultless, and they have kindly given me the recipe to share with you (see below and on www.toptastes.co.nz ).

At the Craftsman on Bateup Road Richmond, you can buy loaves of bread they make fresh each day. You will need to order their very good GF loaf in advance. The large oblong loaf is easy to slice and freeze so you will always have some on hand for your morning toast. A quick tip here is to put a piece of baking paper between each slice before you freeze it so it’s easy to take it out of the freezer piece by piece.

At the Smoke House on the Mapua Wharf they have a dedicated GF fryer so if you are coeliac, you can still enjoy one of New Zealand’s favourite takeaway foods without any risk of cross-contamination.

Something else I have noted in recent weeks is the huge range of gluten free products available in supermarkets and food stores. Prego on Collingwood St even has GF 00 flour to help with making your own pizza bases and breads.

Fresh Choice Nelson City has had a focus on GF products for many years, they have little orange labels on the shelves to help you identify GF items, and they also have a dedicated GF section on the store to save you having to search the whole store.

While Fresh Choice Nelson City have been doing this for many years other supermarkets are following suit and most now have a dedicated GF section.

Then there’s the local producers who make outstanding gluten free products, producers like YUM Granola have a wide range of premium products, products made using the very best ingredients they can get their hands on.

Another brand that has appeared in significant quantities in recent months is Fog Dog. They make a big range of GF flours, breadcrumbs and bread mixes as well as cereals and granolas.

To find great gluten free dining places download the Findme Gluten Free app. This is user driven so you can rate your favourite places and find detailed GF options as recommended by other consumers. www.findmeglutenfree.com/nz

Hopgood’s & Co Gluten Free bread

Head Chef Aaron Ballantyne says “We don’t really have a set recipe for it, it’s more of a technique and you can add any flavouring you want… I normally add black garlic.

Ingredients

500g Bakels brand gluten free flour

1 tbsp dry active instant yeast

1 tbsp caster sugar

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

water

1 tbsp flaky sea salt

1 tbsp Black garlic purée

Method

1. Put all dry ingredients into an electric bowl mixer with a whisk attachment, add olive oil.
2. Slowly add water whisking to combine adding enough water to make a thick pancake like batter.
3. Add black garlic purée and whisk on high for 5 minutes until smooth and fluffy…
4. Pour out into a nonstick baking paper-lined deep oven tray to about 2 inches thick. Sprinkle with herbs / flavouring of your choice. A drizzle of extra olive oil and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
5. Prove for about 1 ½ hours or until doubled in size.
6. Bake 220c for 10 minutes, then turn the heat down to 185c. Continue to bake for about 40 minutes until golden brown and it sounds hollow when tapped.

Published in the Nelson Mail 05-07-2025