Report: 2008 Irresistible Gluten Free Wheat Free Food Show

The Irresistible Gluten Free Wheat Free Food Show held over two days during October, 2008, no doubt, was a great success for the organiser Sue Shephard and her team. Congratulations Sue!!

We were there and here are some of the items that caught our eye and that we will be on the look out for in our local shops:

• Lockton Farm Gourmet sausages
  These are a very nice looking range of gluten free and low fat sausages including: Italian Pork and Fennel, Pork Pumpkin and Leak (Not good for fructose malabsorption people), Chicken Spinach and Pinenut, and many more.
  Shop 13 66-74 Brice Terrace
  Mooroolbark, Ph 9727 3200
  www.locktonfarmgourmet.com.au


• Healthy Feast Pies
  A range of nutritious delicious meals in a pie bursting with tantalising flavours
  Dairy & Egg Free, Gluten & Wheat Free, yeast Free, Preservative & Additive Free.
  
  • Australian Beef & Vegetable
    
  • Vegetable Tagine & Chicken Pie
    
  • Lentil & Potato Curry Pie
  
  Phone 02 9818 6333
  www.healthyfeast.com.au
  (Website under construction. Check back)


• La maison de Patisserie - Gluten Free Pastry Sheets - Delivered!
  This is a business that produces pastry sheets that are gluten free, wheat free, soy free, dairy free, low in fat, preservative free which is delivered directly to your home!
  By the time we visited them they had sold out of stock. Word is that the chocolate pastry is delicious and that the savoury pastry is great for pizza bases.
  More info on their website at www.glutenfreepastry.com.au
  Haven't tried this yet, but it sounds like something that I need to have in my freezer.....Just in case.


• Billabong Brewing - Gluten Free Beers
  Its great to see some more gluten free beers hitting the market. Billabong Brewing are based in Western Australia and produce a range of gf beers:
  
  • Australia's Pale Ale - 5.1% alc/vol
    
  • Blonde - 4.5% alc/vol
    
  • Ginger Beer - 4.5% alc/vol
    
  • Apple Beer - 5% alc/vol (No good for fructose malabsorption people)
  
  Phone: 08 9317 6099
  www.billabongbrewing.com.au


• Well and Good - Chocolate Mud Cake Mix
  I shudder to think of how many samples of this one cake we had!! We tasted, then said: "Are you sure this is gluten free and dairy free??" Then we had to try another piece. (Repeat this cycle several times!)
  The mix is:
  
  • Gluten free
    
  • Wheat free
    
  • Dairy free (Apparently this mix was available in the past but did contain dairy)
    
  • Nut free
    
  • Soya free
    
  • Fructose free
    
  • No Trans fat
    
  • GMO free
    
  • No artifical colour
    
  • No artifical flavour
  
  This mix was not yet released at the time of the show but I have found some at Sunnybrook Healthfood shop. (December 2008)
  We might get to try some of their other products if we can stop eating this cake for 5 minutes.
  13 Tower Court
  Noble Park, VIC 3174
  Phone 9769 1515
  www.wellandgood.com.au


• Tobie Puttock - Celebrity Cooking Stage
  We really enjoyed watching Tobie cook some great dishes from his latest book: "Italian Local"
  Thanks to Sue Shephard, Tobie is very aware of food allergies/intolerances and it is a joy to watch a professional at work. He made it all look very easy.

Congratulations again to Sue on a great show!

Usual disclaimer, we have no connection with Sue Shephard or any of the producers listed. We look forward to seeing these products on local shelves and to next years show. See you there!

2008 - The Irresistible Gluten Free Wheat Free Food Show

The Irresistible Gluten Free Wheat Free Food Show returns for the 3rd year at Jeffs Shed (aka the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre) on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th of October, 2008.

Many manufacturers and distributors of gluten free (and related) products will be present, showing off their wares (There are usually samples a plenty!!). We will be there checking out the many products that we may have not heard about yet. (We need to support the producers of gluten free products to demonstrate that there is a genuine market otherwise we'll go hungry!)

Full details of the show (and Sue Shepherd) at http://www.coeliac.com.au/

See you there!!


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Related Links:

• Report on the 2007 Show

"Bitter Sweet" - Article on Fructose Malabsorption

During August, the Melbourne Herald Sun newspaper contained a good article about fructose malabsorption and its contribution to the symptoms of IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).

Melbournes very own Sue Shepherd is quoted.

Related Links:

• Fructose Friendly Dining Out


• Sue Shepherd coeliac.com.au

Uncle Ricks/Patties Gone Missing?

I recently noticed that my favorite Uncle Ricks/Patties Lamingtons were missing from the freezer in my local Coles.

Worried that these might have been discontinued, I called the Patties help line on 1 800 650 069 (toll free) and asked the question.

The very nice lady explained that some items have been deleted from the Coles shelves:

• Apple Pies


• Sticky Date Puddings

She also explained that a recent computer glitch had caused a problem with ordering that may have impacted stock in some stores. This should be OK now.

As with any supermarket, if your favorite products are missing, talk to the manager of the area (freezer in this case) and let them know what you are looking for. This is the way to get the message across.

Patties products are available at:

• Coles.com.au


• IGA.net.au


• COMING SOON to Safeway/Woolworths.com.au

Coeliac Awareness Week - 13 to 20 March 2008

The latest magazine from the Coeliac Society notes:

Around 1% of the Australian population has coeliac disease. Currently fewer than one in five has been diagnosed. Up to 200,000 Australians have coeliac disease and don't know it.

Coeliac Awareness Week runs from 13 to 20 March, 2008 and aims to raise awareness of coeliac disease and the gluten free diet.

More info at:
The Coeliac Society of Australia - www.coeliacsociety.com.au
Coeliac Society Victoria - vic.coeliacsociety.com.au

We've even had supermarket catalogues from both Woolworths/Safeway and Coles that each have specials on various gluten free items in recognition of Coeliac Awareness Week.

Dairy Free Easter Eggs 2008

Last year, I wrote about some of the dairy free Easter eggs that were available.

Well, after a bit of shopping around, here is the list for 2008.

Alpha Confectionery

Once again, Alpha Confectionery, based right here in Melbourne, have their range of dairy free, gluten free & nut free eggs in stores. These are suitable for vegans.

The photo shows their bag of small eggs (each bag contains 7 eggs) for a total of 100 grams.

Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa mass, cocoa butter, lecithin (322), vanillin.

Cost: $6.49 at Ritchies IGA ($9.95 in David Jones) Made in Australia

I don't just eat these at Easter. I eat these all year round. They have become my special treat. (One egg is perfect with a cup of tea!)



Lindt 70% Dark Chocolate Eggs

The bag is 100 grams in total and the label says that it contains approximately 20 mini eggs.

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, natural flavour (vanilla), emulsifier (soya lecithin)

May contain traces of almonds, and hazelnuts.

Cost: $5.95 in David Jones. Made in Italy. lindt.com



Green & Black's Organic

This is a single egg of 110 grams of 70% chocolate.

Ingredients: Organic cocoa mass, organic raw cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, emulisifer (soya lecithin, organic vanilla extract.

Manufactured in a factory that handles nuts, cereal, gluten and dairy ingredients. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Cost: $9.95 Made in the EU.

Green & Black's have some useful nutritional info on their website at www.greenandblacks.com




As usual, I have no relationship with the manufacturers/distributors other than as a customer. If you find other products, please let us know in the comments or send an email to glutenfreevictoria@gmail.com

Related Links:

• Dairy Free Easter Eggs 2012
• Dairy Free Easter Eggs 2007

Fructose Friendly Dining Out

A reader sent the following email to us:

I am a fellow sufferer of fructose malabsorption. I found myself on Friday night in the middle of the city stuck for places to eat.
Finding wheat free is the easy part, but onion free seems to exclude so much (it’s in so many sauces and the basis for most dishes), that we ended up at Melbourne Central food court with tasteless salads feeling rather depressed.
I’ve managed to modify diets at home with ease, as we tend to cook everything from scratch which is actually a blessing in disguise, but eating out continuously proves a problem.
There is increasing awareness about gluten free at restaurants now, but nowhere is fructose friendly, or able to be modified to fructose free because of the onion. I was wondering if you’d come across or knew about any places in and around the city that you could find a quick, relatively cheap eat without having to worry about onion or simply order a bowl of chips (boy am I sick of ordering chips).
I thought maybe it would make a good blog entry.
If not, and in the future I come across some myself I will let you know.

We couldn't agree more. Onion is everywhere and very hard to avoid. We have the same problem and get very disheartened to the point that we would rather not go out at all versus eating something and end up regretting it.

So, we have started a list of the places that we know of. These are places that either adertise themselves as being fructose friendly and/or they are flexible enough with their menu and attitude to enable diners to avoid fructose un-friendly ingredients.

The list isn't large, but with your help, we hope it will become so.

The usual disclaimer applies: Check with the venue first. Talk to the staff and let them know your requirements. We have no connection with these businesses other than as happy customers.

• Silly Yaks Bakery - 105 High St.,Northcote Phone: (03) 9482 3999
  This cafe/bakery will be well known to coeliacs in Melbourne as they sell a large range of GF cakes, bread, pizza bases and even their own range of GF beer. This is a must visit location especially for a great breakfast that goes most of the day.
  www.sillyyak.com.au


• S.Komatsu Restaurant - 62 Wellington Parade,East Melbourne Phone: 03 9415 7266
  We haven't visited here as yet but S.Komatsu advertises itself as gluten free, dairy free and fructose friendly. Some friends have dined there and really enjoyed it. This will be a dinner destination for us very soon. UPDATE: Unfortunately, S.Komatsu is currently closed
  www.nexgeneats.com/s.komatsu/index.html


• Crust Pizza - Various Locations
  This is a new gourmet style pizza chain that also is very aware of food allergies. Gluten and Dairy free pizza bases can be requested and you can build your own pizza using the high quality, fresh ingredients that they have. (None of that pink, processed stuff that other pizza joints call ham).
  Crust have been awarded the Heart Foundation Heart Tick for 6 of their pizzas. Reported in "The Age on 12 Feb 2008
  www.crust.com.au


• Sandbelt Club Hotel - 630 South Road Moorabbin, VIC 3189 Phone:(03) 9555 6899
  This hotel was recently renovated and the bistro now offers gluten free options and the staff are very knowledgeable and very willing to please. Dishes such as the roast of the day and fish of the day are my choice as the fish (salmon sometimes) is simply grilled and presented with a good selection of steamed vegetables.
  www.sandbeltclubhotel.com.au

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Please let us know if you try somewhere and would like others to know about it. Email us at: glutenfreevictoria@gmail.com

Related Links:

• "The Age" - Article on Fructose Malabsorption