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.

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/

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

Alpha Confectionery Is Back!

Great news for lovers of Alpha Confectionery chocolates!!

If you are someone who enjoyed the range of gluten, dairy and nut free chocolates produced by Alpha Confectionery but was disappointed to see the products disappear from shelves (and their St. Kilda location close), then this will be great news.

We were recently contacted by the new owner of Alpha Confectionery to let us know that they are back in business!

Alpha has a new location in Moorabbin and production is underway of the:

• Classic Plums
• Apricot Royales
• Flavoured Creams
• Cooking chocolate.
• Easter eggs (will be coming soon.)

Distribution is being arranged and we will let you know the stockists on this page soon.

Alpha Confectionery Australia Pty Ltd
14 Capella Crs
Moorabbin, Victoria 3189
Phone  03 9555 0030
www.alphaconfectionery.com.au (Currently under construction)

See our other mentions of Alpha Confectionery on this blog:

• Dairy Free Easter Eggs 2007
• Dairy Free Easter Eggs 2008

Cupcake Central - Gluten & Dairy Free

We were visiting Melbourne Central recently and while on the hunt in the food court for something for lunch, we noticed that Cupcake Central had a gluten free and vegan chocolate cupcake available amongst their huge selection of cupcakes.

The cupcake had a very creamy, smooth frosting on top of a very light spongy cupcake.
Very delicious!  I will be dropping by to try out their other gluten free and vegan cupcakes when I can.
Their baking calendar shows that they make a different gluten free & vegan cupcake each day. The Autumn 2012 schedule is:

• Chocolate gluten free & vegan: Monday & Saturday
• Lemon gluten free & vegan: Tuesday & Friday
• Choc Peanut gluten free & vegan: Wednesday & Sunday
• Coconut gluten free & vegan: Thursday

Not only were the staff able to show me an ingredients list for the cupcake when I asked, but most impressively, they used tongs that were dedicated to the gluten free, vegan cupcakes when handling my order!

We'll Done Cupcake Central!!

ps. One gluten free & vegan Chocolate cupcake was about $4

Website: www.cupcakecentral.com.au
Email:  info@cupcakecentral.com.au
Phone: 03 9077 4542
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cupcake_central

Cupcake Central has a location at Melbourne Central and another in Hawthorn.


View Cupcake Central in a larger map

Dairy Free Easter Eggs 2012

As usual, finding dairy free Easter eggs is never easy, but there are options available.

Here are some of the Dairy Free Easter eggs that I have seen in 2012.

Lindt

Lindt is one of my favourites as it is available in many places including supermarkets, Big W etc.

The Dark Chocolate Bunnies are really nice; 60% cocoa and come in 100g and 200g sizes. Be careful to only buy the DARK Chocolate version with the BROWN ribbon as this one is dairy free. (RED ribbon is the most common but is MILK chocolate; WHITE ribbon is for WHITE chocolate)

The Dark Easter Eggs are 70% cocoa.

Is Lindt chocolate Gluten free?
You'll need to read the Lindt Chocolate FAQ and make your own decision.

Macro Wholefoods Market @ Woolworths

You should be able to find the Macro Easter Bunny which is Lactose Free in the Macro Wholefoods Market section of your local Woolworths.
They also have versions that are Nut Free and another that has No Added Sugar.

Around $7.00 for the 130g bunny

http://www.woolworths.com.au

Kinnerton

Kinnerton are a specialty Nut Free chocolate manufacturer but they also have a few products that are Dairy Free like this egg combo that I saw at David Jones for $19.95.

For the rest of the year, blocks of the Kinnerton chocolate is available in Big W & David Jones stores. (Cheaper at Big W)

Kinnerton - http://www.kinnerton.com.au

Available from David Jones - http://www.davidjones.com.au/

Darrell Lea

Darrell Lea have a couple of options.
Mini Easter Bunnies, pack of 12, 155g total. These are individually wrapped Easter Bunny heads and are Nut free, Dairy free and Gluten free.

There is also a larger, 45g Bunny.

These are only available in Darrell Lea stores and are manufactured in the dedicated NUT FREE facility by Sweet William (see below).
Darrell Lea - http://www.dlea.com.au

Sweet William

"Sweet William is an innovative dairy free chocolate company that produces a range of exceptionally delicious chocolate products which are dairy free, gluten free, nut free and cholesterol free."

Available from Safeway, Coles and IGA in Victoria.
Sweet William - http://www.sweetwilliam.com.au

Alpha Confectionery

In the past we have written about Alpha Confectionery and how wonderful their dairy free chocolate was. Unfortunately, it seems that they may no longer be in business (Their St. Kilda location has been vacated). What a shame. I really miss their Easter Eggs.

See Also:

• Dairy Free Easter Eggs - 2008
• Dairy Free Easter Eggs - 2007

Melinda's Heavenly Chocolate Fudge Brownie

You can always find one or two packets of this brownie mix in our pantry.

It is fast and easy to make and is very delicious. The finished brownie doesn't last long in our house.

The box shows that the brownie is gluten free, wheat free and yeast free and the recipe only asks you to supply 2 extra large eggs and 120g of butter.

We like to make a dairy free version of the brownie and the recipe recommends using soya margarine for this. Instead of butter or margarine, we use a quarter of a cup plus two tablespoons of vegetable oil and find that this works well.

Update: Late in 2013, Melindas changed the recipe and combined all the ingredients into one packet. We still make a version that is also dairy free but with an additional step to separate out the chocolate chips.

Making the brownie couldn't be much easier. Our daughter often makes the brownie with only a little help from Mum or Dad.

1. Sift the brownie mix into a bowl and separate out the chocolate chips.
2. Melt the chocolate chips from the packet with the butter/oil in the microwave
3. Add the melted chocolate mix and two lightly beaten eggs
4. Mix it all together with a big spoon
5. Pour it into your lined baking tin
6. Bake

This takes only 10 minutes to mix and 20 minutes to bake (depending on how "fudgy" you like your brownie).

The result is a very addictive brownie. It's hard to stop at one piece.

If you need a gluten and dairy free treat, this is a fast and as delicious as they get. Thanks Melinda's!!

I buy these at our local Woolies or Coles for $5 to $6

See the Melinda's website for ingredients and their other great products.

Patties Gluten Free Lamingtons - New Improved Recipe

I have been a regular consumer of Patties Gluten Free Lamingtons for many years.
On a recent visit to the supermarket, I noticed the addition of "New Improved Recipe" to the packaging.

On tasting the "New Improved Recipe" I was immediately disappointed. In my opinion, the original recipe was perfect and did not need any "improvement". The new recipe is very different and I, sadly, won't be buying them again.

As you can see below, the ingredients list will show the differences.

Original Ingredients:
Sugar, reconstituted egg, strawberry jam [sugar, strawberries (40%), gelling agent (440), acidity regulator (330)]
coconut (9%) [contains preservative (220)], rice flour, starch (maize), water,
margarine [vegetable fats and oils(sunflower, canola, palm), salt, emulsifiers (471, 322 - sunflower), flavour, vitamins (a, d and e)],
cocoa (3%), vanilla flavour, raising agent (500), stabiliser (415).
Contains: Egg

New Ingredients:
Water, Sugar, Strawberry Jam [Sugar, Strawberries, Pectin, Citric acid], Dessicated Coconut (8%) [Coconut, Preservative (220-Sulphites)], Rice Flour, Maize starch,
Margarine [vegetable fats and oils, emulsifiers (322 - Soy, 471), antioxidant (306-Soy), Colours (160b, 100)],
Egg solids, Cocoa (2.5%), Potato starch, Sodium bicarbonate, Fruit fibre, Acidity regulator (450), Thickeners (415, 412), Humectant (420), Emulsifier (471, 475 - Soy), Natural Flavour.
Contains: Egg, Soybean products and added sulphites.

http://www.patties.com.au/our-brands/pattiesglutenfree.htm

What do you think? Tell us in the comments section below.

Report: 2011 Irresistible Gluten Free Food Show

September hosted the 2011 Irresistible Gluten Free Food Show at Jeffs Shed in Melbourne.
For us, this is an event that is not to be missed.

This year, the major sponsor was Macro Wholefoods Market. (You might remember that Macro was bought by Woolworths in mid-2009)

Presenters included: Tobie Puttock & Dr Sue Shepherd.

Here are some of our highlights:

• Macro Wholefoods Market
  Macro had a large display of their products, most of which you will find in your local Woolworths/Safeway.
  Recipe brochures from Toby Puttock, Spencer Clements, Dr. Sue Shepherd & Rowie Dillon were given away.
• Larder Fresh
  Roast Pumpkin & Chickpea Burger. Gluten Free, Egg free, Dairy Free, Wheat Free, onion & garlic free, preservative free. We picked up some of these. Very tasty. Great for a snack, or light lunch. No onion but still full of flavor. They also produce Falafel but these have onion.
  http://www.larderfresh.com.au/
• Bayview
  Bayview is an Australian owned company producing a wide range of crumbed fish, chicken and related products, including a gluten free range.
  New products are in the works, including: Calamari & easy to cook Fish in a bag.
  You can always find their fish fillets and chicken tenderloins in my freezer.
  A suggestion for Bayview: Please include the ingredients list for your products on your website.
  http://www.bayviewseafoods.com.au/
• Melindas
  You will always find some of the Melindas range in our pantry, especially the "Heavenly Choc Fudge Brownie Mix".
  They were promoting their own Gluten Free Self Raising Flour mix and their iPhone Allergy Free Entertaining app. (Android version soon)
  One of our clan sampled their Tuscan Style Rissotto Cakes, which received the thumbs up. These are gluten free, but do contain onion and cheese is part of the recipe.
  http://melindasgfg.com/
• House of Biskota 
  had a very interesting display of biscuits that are gluten, dairy, egg and yeast free.
  For those conscious of fructose, be aware of the biscuits that have jam as the ingredients show this contains apple.
  http://houseofbiskota.com.au/GlutenFree
• "Uncle" Rick Grant
  Rick & Rhonda were showing off a new range of seasoning mixes that are gluten free, wheat free, dairy free, egg free, soy free and fructose friendly (no onion or garlic).
  Expect to see a lot more from Rick during 2012.
  http://www.rickgrant.com.au/
• Well and Good
  were present again with a fantastic range of products. Always full of enthusiasm and coming up with something new. They were showcasing several new products.
  http://www.wellandgood.com.au/
• Table of Plenty
  Gluten free Mini rice cakes but with a delicious top coating of chocolate.
  http://www.tableofplenty.com.au/
• Mary's Gone Crackers
  This range of crackers and cookies are made in the USA but distributed in Australia by Real Food Distributors.
  The Love Cookies range are fantastic, with our favourites being the N'Oatmeal Raisin (No Oatmeal!!) and the Double Chocolate.
  You can find these in health food stores and independent supermarkets.
  http://www.realfooddistributors.com.au/page/products.html
  http://www.marysgonecrackers.com/
• F G Roberts
  Regular show attendees, F G Roberts were presenting their new Palmira's bread mix which is gluten and wheat free and the bread can be made without yeast. Detailed information packs with recipes were made available.
  http://www.glutenfreehealth.com.au/
• Celebrate Health
  have an interesting range of gluten free baking mixes based on Chestnut flour (contain dairy), and a range of flavoured Quinoa: Tomato & Basil; Moroccan Spiced and Lemon & Thyme. (I've spotted these in Coles since the show)
  http://www.celebratehealth.com.au/
• Peppercorn Food Company
  were cooking up their range of gluten free sausages which are delicious.
  Not all of the them are fructose friendly as they contain garlic & onion.
  Unfortunately, the website does not list ingredients. These should be available at your local Woolworths. Ask your supermarket manager if they are not.
  http://www.peppercornfood.com.au/
• Gluten Free 4U
  This is a new bakery that has opened in Moorabbin and covers bread, pizza bases, tarts, cookies & cakes, all manufactured in a dedicated gluten and nut free enviornment.
  5/1 Bignell Rd. Moorabbin
  http://www.glutenfree4u.com.au/
• Kez's Free
  were launching their new Vienna Eclair gluten free biscuits.
  Not dairy free. Try the Melting Moments for a gluten and dairy free biscuit.
  http://www.kezs.com.au/products-kezs-free.asp
• Deeks Health Foods
  We first tried this bread while traveling in the ACT a few years ago and found it to be very good.
  Deeks is now becoming available in Victoria and definately worth a try. Available at Sunnybrook.
  http://www.deeks.com.au/
• Vitality Bakehouse
  Have a large range of gluten free baked goods.
  Their Christmas Pudding is also dairy free along with our favourite, the Orange Poppy Seed Muffins. (Hard to find on the Internet)
  http://www.raffleshealthyfoods.com.au/
• San Remo Pasta
  This is our first stop for gluten free pasta. Our favourites are the Penne & Spirals.
  http://www.sanremo.com.au/
• Yes You Can
  has a range of bread, cake and pancake mixes that are gluten, wheat and yeast free.
  Some have dairy free options including the cupcake mix.
  http://yesyoucan.net.au/yes-you-can/home

You can be sure we will be back in 2012 to see (and taste) the latest gluten free products on the market.