Cafe "Nancy" at the Robert Gordon Pottery factory outlet in Pakenham

For a long time, we’ve been keen to visit the Robert Gordon Pottery factory outlet in Pakenham. It seems such a long way from the Melbourne suburbs, but for us, it was about a 50 minute drive, mostly along the M1 Monash Freeway.

Robert Gordon has been making world class pottery since 1945 and makes some of their range right here in Victoria. The outlet has a very large selection of pottery on display and they also hold pottery classes.

Read more on their site: https://www.robertgordonaustralia.com/

We knew that the outlet has a cafe but knew little about it.

We were expecting pottery but not vegan, gluten & dairy free food!

How wrong we were!

The outlet cafe is called “Nancy” and has both inside and outside tables.

“Nancy” is the sister cafe to “Lorna” in Ferntree Gully and “Maria” in Upwey. Each cafe is named after one of the owners grandmothers; Nancy was Josh's nana, an accomplished Tasmanian cook who also happened to be a potter. The sister cafes also have vegan and gluten free options on their menus.

When planning your trip to Robert Gordon, you must do the following:

1. Book a table at “Nancy”.  We didn’t but were very lucky as we were able to peruse the pottery while we waited for one to become available.
2. Before you sit down, visit the cake display, where we found some beautiful looking cakes including some vegan & gluten free options, as these are not shown on the menu.

We were very surprised to find many suitable brunch options for us on the menu.

I had a tofu scramble on some very nice gluten & dairy free bread, avocado and some of the home made hash brown.

The rest of the family shared a platter ( designed for Valentines Day) that had eggs your way on toast; mushrooms, Korean Fried Chicken Bao buns; arancini balls and chocolate waffles. Easily fed two, but not all gluten free.

Share Platter

We couldn’t fit in cake during the visit, but took a piece of the vegan & GF pistachio cake home for later.

It looks very dense but was surprisingly light with an extravagant berry cream icing. Delicious!

Vegan Pistachio Cake

The staff were very friendly and helpful even though this is a very busy venue.

If you are passing anywhere near Pakenham, definitely visit the Robert Gordon factory outlet. (Book at table first)

Links:

• "Nancy" at Robert Gordon, Pakenham: https://www.nancyeatery.com.au/
• "Lorna" in Fertree Gully: https://www.lornamelbourne.com.au/
• "Maria" in Upwey: https://www.mariamelbourne.com.au/

Rawlicious Delicious - Raw, Vegan treats

 I made a recent, rare visit to Passion Foods in South Melbourne to check out their range of gluten free, dairy free products that they stock and came home with some raw, vegan, gluten free & dairy free treats made by Rawlicious Delicious.

Lemon Pistachio Cheesecake

Smooth & creamy texture with a subtle lemon flavour.

Amazing!! Delicious!! I'm looking forward to eating this again very soon.

Rocky Road

Deliciously smooth & very chocolatey.

Rawlicious Delicious are based in Bundaberg, Queensland but have a couple of stockists in Melbourne:

1. Passion Foods
219 Ferrars Street, South Melbourne

2. Lebon Cakes
93 Acland St, St Kilda, Melbourne

Read more about Rawlicious Delicious treats on their website:

https://rawliciousdelicious.com.au

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rawliciousdelicious/

(Photos are from Rawlicious Delicious)

2019 Gluten Free Expo, Melbourne - Video

Our latest visit to the Gluten Free Expo in Melbourne in October, 2019.
Very large number of quality exhibitors and plenty of people attending.
Add in an awesome goodie bag with some fantastic samples and I think this was one of the best expos ever!

List of exhibitors seen in the video

Coeliac Australia
https://www.coeliac.org.au/

Coles
https://www.coles.com.au/

Simply Wize
http://www.simplywize.com.au/

Vitality Bakehouse bread

Helgas & Country Life bread (part of Goodman Fielder)
http://www.countrylife.com.au

Barilla pasta
http://www.barilla.net.au/

Unforgettable Products
http://www.unforgettableproducts.com.au

Macarons De Paris
http://www.macarondeparis.com.au/

Freedom Foods
http://www.freedomfoods.com.au/

Ardor Food Co - Nutella Donuts & crepes
http://ardorfoodco.com.au/

Food For Health
http://www.foodforhealth.com.au/

Brians Gourmet Meats
https://www.briansgourmetmeats.com.au/

Mrs Brunts Shake & Bake bread
https://www.brunt.com.au/

GF Precinct
https://gfprecinct.com.au/

Mamaji's Curry Sauces
https://www.mamajis.com.au/

Orgran
http://www.orgran.com/

Two Bays Brewing
https://www.twobays.beer/

YesYouCan
http://www.saldoce.com.au/

Caffe Strada Bakery
http://www.caffestrada.com.au/gluten_free

Tea Tonic
https://www.teatonic.com.au/index.php/

Botanical Brew
https://botanicalbrew.com.au/

Well & Good
https://www.wellandgood.com.au/

Senza Wellness Foods
https://www.senzafoods.com.au/

We Love Cake (UK)
https://we-love-cake.co.uk/

Bells & Whistles (UK)
https://bells-whistles.co.uk/

Oh So Good Foods
https://www.ohsogoodfoods.com.au/

Danny Balboa Hot Sauce
https://www.dannybalboa.co/

Gluten Free Developments
https://www.glutenfreedevelopments.com.au/

Green Whisk
https://www.greenwhisk.com.au/

Ciao Mamma!
https://ciaomamma.com.au/


See You All Next Year!!

We Love Cake - Double Chocolate Brownies at Coles

We noticed these on the shelves at Coles today.

Gluten, Wheat & Milk Free cakes from We Love Cake.

Double Chocolate Brownies

Double Chocolate Brownies

Very Yummy!! A real brownie, fudgy but light texture.

The box contains 4 little bars separately wrapped in packs of 2. (So you don’t eat the whole box!)

Double Chocolate Brownies

Fruit Cake Slices

I haven’t tasted these as they contain some things that don’t agree with me: apple juice, Glucose-Fructose syrup & sulphur dioxide.

Fruit Cake Slices

Cost: $5.50 per box (Purchased by us. No affiliation with the product or suppliers)

These are made in the U.K. by We Love Cake.

 https://we-love-cake.co.uk/australian-products/ . Full ingredient lists on the site.

Their website shows quite a few gluten, wheat & milk free cakes. Maybe we will see more of these on the shelves in Australia.

Coeliac Awareness Week 2019

Coeliac Awareness Week is from 13-20 March, 2019

Be on the lookout for specials at the major supermarkets. Check your letterbox for the catalogues!

Have a look at the gluten free products available at Woolworths:
https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/search/products?searchTerm=gluten%20free

Freakonomics Podcast: The Demonization of Gluten

The team over at Freakonomics never fail to produce excellent podcasts.
This week, they have addressed Gluten.

This is very informative and very high quality content. Spend 45 minutes to listen when you can.
I use the iPhone app: Stitcher to manage my podcast listening.

Listen now in your browser:
http://freakonomics.com/podcast/demonization-gluten/

Get Stitcher for your phone: https://www.stitcher.com/

Gluten Free Expo, Melbourne 2016 - Video

If you weren't able to visit the Gluten Free Expo in Melbourne this year. Here are some highlights.

List of exhibitors seen in the video

Coeliac Society Victoria & Tasmania
http://victas.coeliac.org.au/

Simply Wize
http://www.simplywize.com.au/

Vitality Bakehouse bread

San Remo pasta
http://sanremo.com.au/

Pure Gluten Free Bakery - Treat No Wheat Cafe
https://www.facebook.com/pureglutenfree06/

O’Brien Beer
https://rebellionbrewing.com.au/obrien-beer

Little Earth Bakery - Bread
http://www.littleearthbakery.com.au/

Australian Gluten-Free Life magazine
http://agfl.com.au/

Windsor Park Country Flavour - Yo Yo's
http://www.windsorparkcountryflavour.com/

Helgas & Country Life bread (part of Goodman Fielder)
http://www.countrylife.com.au

Barilla pasta
http://www.barilla.net.au/

Coles
https://www.coles.com.au/

Schar
http://www.schar.com/

Genius bread
http://www.geniusglutenfree.com/en_gb

AVS Organic Foods - Non-Dairy Cheese
http://avsorganicfoods.com.au/

The Mixing Bowl Cupcakes - Brunswick
https://www.facebook.com/TheMixingBowlCupcakes/?fref=ts

Happy Camper - Pizza van
http://happycamperpizza.com.au/

Greek Street Food by Kara’s Kalamaki
http://www.greekstreetfood.com.au/

Unforgettable Products
http://www.unforgettableproducts.com.au

No Grainer
http://nograiner.com.au/

Gluten Free Bakehouse & Zehnder
http://gfbakehouse.com.au/

Macarons De Paris
http://www.macarondeparis.com.au/

Freedom Foods
http://www.freedomfoods.com.au/

Ayam
http://ayam.com/

Mrs Macs Pies
http://www.mrsmacs.com.au

The Whole Foodies
http://thewholefoodies.com.au/

Ardor Food Co - Nutella Donuts & crepes
http://ardorfoodco.com.au/

Sue Shepherd
http://shepherdworks.com.au/

Pana Chocolate
http://www.panachocolate.com

Food For Health
http://www.foodforhealth.com.au/

YesYouCan
http://www.saldoce.com.au/


See You All Next Year!!

2016 Gluten Free Expo, Melbourne

The Gluten Free Expo and Conference is on again in Melbourne on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th of October, 2016 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (Jeffs' Shed).

Conference hosted by World Champion Aerial Skier, Jacqui Cooper

Assoc Prof Don Cameron - Paediatric Gastroenterologist

Dr Jason Tye-Din - Gastroenterologist

Jim Kantidakis - Physchologist

Kim Menzies - Dietitian

and more. 

Full details of the show at www.gfexpo.com.au

GF Expo is presented by The Coeliac Society of Victoria & Tasmania victas.coeliac.org.au

Sweet William Dairy Free Chocolate Recall

Sweet William are recalling many of their Dairy Free chocolate range due to the presence of DAIRY.

Full information is available at www.foodstandards.gov.au

Dairy Free Easter Eggs from Moo Free Chocolate

Here is another gluten & dairy free chocolate egg that we have seen this Easter.
This one is Soya free and Vegan.

Ingredients listed as:

• Cocoa solids [45%] (cocoa butter, cocoa mass)
• Sugar [35%]
• Rice powder [20%]
• (The ingredients above are Organic ingredients)
• Sunflower lecithin (E322)
• Natural flavouring

Made in Britain

http://www.moofreechocolates.com

Available in Coles

Aldi Choices Free From Easter Eggs

Aldi "Choices" Free From Easter Eggs

Aldi has an option for those of us needing a dairy free, gluten free, egg free and vegan Easter Egg.

The "Choices" brand Free From Easter egg
115g for $5.99

More details on the Aldi Website.

As with most Aldi items, stocks are limited.

We tried the White Chocolate version and the ingredients are list as:

• Sugar
• Cocoa butter
• Inulin
• Maltodextrin
• Maize Flour
• Coconut Oil
• Emulsifier:(Soya Lecithin)
• Flavourings
• Cocoa solids 30% minimum.
• Contains no artificial colours or preservatives.

Manufactured in Ireland

Note that this does contain Inulin, which could impact on you if you are following a Low FODMAP diet.

TV - The Intolerant Cooks

Tracy Bartram & Richard Barassi present a TV series with recipes for people with food intolerances from locations around Victoria.

Set your recorder for channel 7TWO at 2:30 on Saturday.
Full Episodes and Recipes are also available on their website at: http://www.intolerantcooks.com.au/

2015 Gluten Free Expo & Conference

The Gluten Free Expo and Conference is on again in Melbourne on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th of October, 2015 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (Jeffs' Shed).

Read our reports from previous years:

• 2014
• 2011
• 2010

These are always excellent events to discover new products (and sample them!)

Major sponsors are Coles and Simply Wize

Full details of the show at www.gfexpo.com.au

GF Expo is presented by The Coeliac Society of Victoria & Tasmania victas.coeliac.org.au

Breakfast - Gluten & Dairy Free

Gluten & Dairy Free Breakfast

Nearly everyone likes a cooked breakfast occasionally. And it can be really good, even if you cook it yourself, at home, and you can be confident about everything on the plate.

Here is a breakfast that I made recently. There is no dairy or gluten involved.

Grilled tomatoes.

The little truss tomatoes work well but otherwise, cut larger tomatoes in half. Place in a small frypan on low to medium heat. (They can burn easily). Drizzle with oil. Salt & pepper and a sprinkle of dried Oregano. Let them slowly cook while you get on with the rest.

Bacon.

This was some very nice gluten free bacon from a local deli. Place in another fry pan with a tiny amount of oil, if any, on low to medium heat.

Avocado.

Halve & slice up an avocado and place on your plate.  Some Rocket is also a nice addition.

Poached Eggs.

Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. (We kickstart this with boiling water from the kettle)
Add a decent splash of White Vinegar as this helps the egg whites to set.
Crack your fresh egg into a cup.
Reduce the heat to a slow simmer. (Not too many bubbles)
With a large spoon, spin the water in the saucepan. Not too much.
Pour your egg into the middle of the whirlpool. The spinning action helps to keep the egg white in a tight ball.
This is now your chance to pour a second egg into the saucepan next to the other one. I find that they rarely stick together.
Set your timer for 3 minutes (soft yolk). Don't let the water get back to a boil.

Toast.

The best gluten free & dairy free bread I've found in Melbourne, so far, is Soy & Linseed bread from Lichtenstiens Bakehouse in Balaclava.
This bread toasts very well and has a great texture & taste.
I buy mine from a local Coles supermarket and keep it in the freezer. Defrosting a few slices when needed. Not many Coles in Melbourne stock this bread. Another option is Sunnybrook Health Store in Ormond.

Ingredients: Rice flour 62%, water, eggs, salt, vegetable oil(canola), sugar, yeast, vegetable gum (guar or 412) vinegar. Made in the same premises as products containing nuts.

Now you just need to plate everything up and enjoy your home cooked, gluten & dairy free breakfast!

Would you rather go out for breakfast?

In Melbourne, especially, there are countless places that have excellent breakfasts.
Many of them offer gluten free bread, but my experience is that the bread is rarely also dairy free. Ask your waiter, but worst case is that you have to go without toast.

Also be wary of other menu items that often get cooked in butter. eg mushrooms, hash browns (gluten also)

Links

Lichtensteins Bakehouse
287 Carlisle St, Balaclava VIC 3183
http://www.lichtensteinsbakehouse.com.au/


Gluten Free Shop- Sunnybrook Health Store
553A North Road, Ormond, VIC, 3204, Australia
Melway Reference: 68 F8
Email: sales@glutenfreeshop.com.au
Telephone: (03) 9578 6400
http://www.glutenfreeshop.com.au/

Zebra Dream - Organic Coconut Icecream

We tried out one of the great flavours from Zebra Dream recently.

The little 150ml "Dixie cup" is an excellent way to try out the flavours and they seem to be available for around $5. (Spoon included under the lid!!)

The Choc Mint Crunch had a very smooth & creamy texture with the organic cacao nibs adding a bitter chocolatey crunch.

Ingredients:

• Organic Coconut milk
• Organic Agave syrup
• Organic Cacao powder
• Organic Cacao nibs
• Peppermint oil
• Organic Guar Gum
• Citrus Fibre

The Agave Syrup is not fructose friendly so I only had a little taste. But if this isn't a worry for you then definitely try these out. (The website shows that the Luscious Latte flavour has no Agave and is sweetened with coconut sugar. I'll try that one out when I next see them)

We found these in the freezer section at Sunnybrook in Ormond and also the Capital Kitchen at Chadstone Shopping Center.

Have you tried Zebra Dream? Let us know what you think.


Zebra Dream: www.zebradream.com

Sunnybrook Health Store: www.glutenfreeshop.com.au

Capital Kitchen:  www.capitalkitchen.com.au

Report on 2014 Gluten Free Expo & Conference

We were one of the many that attended the Gluten Free Expo and Conference in Melbourne on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th of September, 2014 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (Jeffs' Shed).

Dr Rupert Hinds, Paediatric Gastroenterologist, was one of the many specialist speakers making up the conference.
http://www.digestivehealth.com.au/doctors-rupert-hinds.htm

GF Precinct gfprecinct.com.au  Artisan breads hand made in a gluten-free bakery in Melbourne.

The stand for Shepherd Works, Sue Shepherds organisation, was a hive of activity as many people were excited to meet her & have Sue sign their books and taste test her yummy lollies.
http://shepherdworks.com.au/

It took us quite a while to get passed the O'Brien Beer display as we tested many of their fine gluten free beers.  Our favorites will now be in the fridge at the ready.  I especially liked the Brown Ale.
https://rebellionbrewing.com.au/obrien-beer

The friendly chefs from Helgas Bread were busily preparing gourmet sandwiches using their latest gluten free breads for all to try.
http://www.helgas.com.au/

A regular at the gluten free expos and one of our favorites is Well & Good.
http://www.wellandgood.com.au/

Our review of their Crusty Bread Mix.

At the Coles stage, Masterchef contestants Courtney Roulston and Michael Weldon, demonstrated some of their skills.

Here are just some of the goodies, both free samples and purchases that we returned home with.

It was a great show with heaps of yummy things to try, buy and talk to the manufacturers about. That is the real benefit of the event.

Keep an eye on www.gfexpo.com.au for details of the next expo

GF Expo is presented by The Coeliac Society of Victoria & Tasmania victas.coeliac.org.au

2014 Gluten Free Expo & Conference

The Gluten Free Expo and Conference is on again in Melbourne on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th of September, 2014 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (Jeffs' Shed).

As always, we look forward to discovering new gluten free products and tasting them all!
We'll be on the lookout for:

• Decadent Desserts www.decadentdesserts.com.au  GF & DF desserts from Gippsland.
• GF Precinct gfprecinct.com.au  Artisan breads hand made in a gluten-free bakery in Melbourne.
• Farinacci Pasta  farinaccipasta.com.au  Gluten Free pasta made in Caulfield.

Major sponsor this year is Coles

Full details of the show at www.gfexpo.com.au

GF Expo is presented by The Coeliac Society of Victoria & Tasmania victas.coeliac.org.au

Gluten Free 4U - Bakery in Moorabbin, Victoria

When Gluten Free 4U first opened in 2012, I was very pleased to see a gluten free related business open up in my area of the South Eastern suburbs.

I soon became a regular customer and these are are a few of the gluten & dairy free items that I regularly buy.

Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry Muffins

I buy these in a pack of six and freeze them so that  I always have some on hand. A great staple for me with a cup of tea.
(There are other muffin flavours like chocolate, orange & poppy, but these contain dairy)

Brownie slab

Brownie

This is a very nice, light chocolate brownie which I buy as a slab and then cut up and freeze.

Bread rolls

Bread Rolls

The plain dinner rolls, and long rolls have a great texture & flavour. (Not crumbly)  I often have one of these as my work lunch.

Wraps

These are delicious, with a nice flavour & not crumbly.
I like mine with avocado, chicken & salad. Be sure not to over stuff your wrap.

Jam roll

A "sometimes" treat. A "real" Jam Roll.

Sausage rolls with carrot

If you are like me and also need to avoid fructose, these onion free sausage roles are very tasty.
Party size for me.

Meat pie

They also have a fructose free meat pie which is delicious & also dairy free.

Donuts

Another special treat are the donuts they make. I understand that they are very popular with many customers. These are better than many non-gluten free donuts!

There is a large range of goods that are gluten free (but not dairy free) so I can't be trying, but you might. Check out their website, which is excellent, as it has full ingredients lists.  Online shopping with delivery is available.

They must be doing something right as the shop can be very busy at times.
I highly recommend that you give Gluten Free 4U a try, if you haven't already.

Gluten Free 4U

5 / 1-3 Bignell Road, Moorabbin VIC 3189
Phone: 03 9555 5175
Fax: 03 9555 5739
Email: info@glutenfree4u.com.au
Web: http://glutenfree4u.com.au/

Silly Yaks Lamb and Rosemary Pie

Sometimes you need a quick and tasty lunch and a pie often hits the spot especially in the colder weather.

I recently tried one of the many pies made by Silly Yaks here in Melbourne.

I heated this one from frozen in the microwave. As it heated up I started to smell a lovely combination of lamb and rosemary.

As for eating, the chunks of lamb were very tender, with plenty of flavor in the gravy.

As I used the microwave, the pastry was heavy but has a good texture.
If you have the time, I'd recommend using the oven and following the detailed heating instructions on the Silly Yak website for a crispy pastry crust.

Very handy product to have in your freezer.


Ingredients list and excellent, detailed heating instructions are available on the Silly Yaks website.
http://www.sillyyak.com.au

I bought mine from Sunnybrook in Ormond.
http://www.glutenfreeshop.com.au

Gluten Free Expo - Caulfield Race Course - 15 September 2012

The Coeliac Society of Victoria & Tasmania are the organisers of the Gluten Free Expo to be held at Caulfield Race Course, Melbourne on Saturday 15 September, 2012, 9:30 to 4:00.

This is a one day event only. Adult Entry Fee is $10 (Coeliac Society Members $5)

Full Expo details at http://www.glutenfreeexpovic-tas.org.au/

Coeliac Society of Victoria & Tasmania at http://www.coeliac.org.au/vic-tas/

We will be going along to check out new gluten free products. See You there!