Warrens Bakery

Now don’t get me wrong, in my pre coeliac days Warrens Bakery wouldn’t have been my first choice for a pasty, but quite frankly I’ll now go anywhere that has gluten free pasties!

I had heard on the grapevine that Warrens had started selling gluten free pasties towards the end of 2017, so when I went back to Cornwall earlier in the year, it had suddenly become extremely convenient to try them, as my parents had not long moved to within a few metres of one of their smaller shops in Penzance!

My mum had done a bit of research at the local shop for me and found out that as long as I pre-ordered the day before I needed them, they would make sure that they had some available and precooked by the time we collected them. They have two gluten free flavours (cheese and onion and a traditional steak), so naturally I ordered one of each!

Before I get on with the review, here’s a little bit of information about Warrens Bakery and their gluten free options, taken from their website:

In St Just, near Land’s End, 150 years ago, two families united bringing together the freshest local ingredients and traditional craft bakery skills. Making hand-crimped pasties, freshly baked bread and prized scones and biscuits, Warrens Bakery soon became firm favourites of the miners, farmers and the local community.

Not A Trace Awards 2016

Regular readers will know that each year I have my own little awards ‘ceremony’ where I acknowledge the best products / companies in various categories.

The awards for 2016 are obviously a little late(!) and as my blog posts were few and far between last year, due to a certain little person taking all my attention, the 2016 awards are more a summary of my blog reviews from last year.

Despite my inability to blog of late, it’s great to have had over 58,000 blog views since Not A Trace began. I am also very proud to see the constant stream of views every day even if I haven’t blogged for a while. Thank you to you all!

So, on to the awards / 2016 round-up….

Pieminister Gluten Free Pies

Having lived in Bristol for over 10 years now, one of the best things it has produced is definitely its Pieminister pies! I always loved having a Heidi pie (goats cheese, spinach and sweet potato) but after being diagnosed as a coeliac four years ago, these became a thing of the past.

That was until Pieminister recently introduced their gluten free pies! Only three of their pies are gluten free at present, but one of them just so happens to be the Heidi pie! Wahoo! 🙂

Pieminister kindly offered me the chance to try their gluten free pies – there was no way I could say no to that!

Before I get on to the review, here’s a little bit more about their gluten free pies, taken from their website:

We’ve spent the best part of a year rolling, mixing, tasting and baking to create Gluten Free Moo and Heidi pies.  And proof that they taste just as great as their non-GF counterparts, they both triumphed in the 2016 British Pie Awards. Taking first place in the Free From Class, the Gluten Free Heidi was crowned Class Champion, making it officially the best gluten free pie in the UK. The Gluten Free Moo was placed in the top three ‘Free From’ pies in Britain, winning a Gold Medal and the ‘Highly Commended’ title.

LumberJack Bars

The early days of being a new mum proved quite hard for me, but one thing that really got me through was a well-timed delivery of LumberJack Bars!

I spent the first week home from hospital effectively stuck in one room as I had a few mobility issues, so Rich was making sure that I was well fed so that I could look after the baby, but mealtimes were a bit hit and miss.

As a result, snacks proved to be very useful for providing that extra bit of fuel, especially protein packed ones….

Salt & Malt, Chew Valley Lake

I first ventured out to Chew Valley Lake last year and experienced the fish and chips at Salt & Malt, an amazing restaurant overlooking the lake. I enjoyed it so much that I didn’t have time for photos, so promised myself that the next time I went I would write a review….

Before I get on to that, if you haven’t heard of Salt & Malt where have you been? Not only do they have a restaurant, but they also have a takeaway so you can have the same great food whilst enjoying a walk around the stunning lake.

However, the best thing about Salt & Malt is that a large number of their items are gluten free as standard! 🙂

Georges Fish Bar, Hanham

Social media really is a wonderful thing…. You’ll be aware that I set up the Coeliacs in Bristol Facebook group with the intention of forming an official Coeliac UK group (more on that to follow….), but it’s also used as a forum for sharing new finds and asking for advice.

One of the suggestions posted by the lovely Sonia was regarding Georges Fish Bar in Hanham and that they are now serving gluten free fish and chips. Having moved to Hanham earlier this year, this was amazing news, so I contacted them for some more information.

At present they only offer gluten free fish and chips on the first Monday of every month between the hours of 17:00 – 20:30, but hopefully with a bit more advertising and interest I’m hoping they may increase this….

Pizza Express – gluten free dough balls

Since I last wrote a review about Pizza Express back in 2013, I’ve visited the restaurants on numerous occasions, whether it be on my lunch break, with the Bristol Coeliac Group or when I booked to have a meal at one of the restaurants in Bath for my hen night!

Back when I wrote the first review, the starter options were quite limited, but now everyone’s prayers have been answered – they have gluten free dough balls! 🙂

Zizzi – gluten free garlic bread

Three years ago I wrote a review about my local Zizzi at Cabot Circus. I had a great meal there and have eaten at numerous restaurants since that first review, all offering a good service and great gluten free options.

However, back when I did the first review there wasn’t an option to have gluten free garlic bread, but there is now! 🙂 Although it’s not actually advertised on their menu as being available…..

Vinegar Jones Fish & Chips, Bowness-on-Windermere

My first blog post back has to be about one of the best examples of gluten free food that we’ve had over recent months.

A few months ago we visited the Lake District for our final break before the baby arrived. We’d visited Windermere a few years ago but that was in my pre-coeliac days, so I did some research into hotels and eateries before we booked our trip, just to make sure I would be ok.

We arrived quite late in the day on our first night due to a very long drive up from Bristol. As a result, I liked the idea of going for a walk rather than sitting down to a meal, so we decided to get fish and chips.

LoveCakeLisa – homemade gluten and dairy free cakes in West Cornwall

As you know, I like to publicise gluten free products and events both in Bristol and West Cornwall and this review is all about one such brand back at home in Penzance.

If you’re looking for gluten and dairy free cakes in West Cornwall then look no further than LoveCakeLisa.

Lisa kindly dropped some cakes round just before I went home for my birthday and on my arrival I was greeted by a selection of 4 individual cupcakes – chocolate, orange, zesty lemon and strawberry creme.

Before I get on to the review, here’s a little bit more about Lisa, taken from her blog:

My name is Lisa Spooner.  Originally from the west Midlands, I relocated to west Cornwall in 1998, and I’ve been living gluten-&-dairy-free for many years – long before it became trendy, and long before the supermarkets began to cotton on to the whole ‘free from’ market.  I can happily go without bread and pasta, but the one thing I did miss was good cake.  Yes, I know that in recent years the shops have begun to fill up with such products, but all too often these are loaded with cheap sugars, bad fats and unnecessary chemical additives which I’d prefer not to be eating.  So the only option for me was to make my own, not only to enjoy myself but to also share with family and friends – including those who eat ‘normal’ food!