In the latest issue of DS Discover Magazine, gluten free blogger Kate Jeffs, author of a "A Girl’s Guide to Gluten Free Baking" visited 3 chain restaurants to sample their gluten free offering. Katie is 25 and was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease six years ago so she knows how frustrating it can be eating out gluten free.

Kate’s first gluten free restaurant was Wetherspoon in Chichester. Wetherspoon offer a number of gluten free options in their pub chain which is nationwide. The gluten free items available include steaks, jacket potatoes and a gluten free crumble!

What did you think of the gluten free labelling on the menu?

"The ‘Gluten Free’ label was small and hard to read. On previous visits to Wetherspoon there has been a bigger menu with photos and far clearer labelling, alas not anymore. The gluten free dishes were integrated into the rest of the menu rather than there being a separate menu or section available, making it more difficult to pick out the particular dishes."

Was there a good choice of gluten free food on the menu?

"In a word no. Aside from the generically gluten free dishes such as the steaks and jacket potatoes there were less than six dishes on what was a fairly big menu."

Were the staff aware about the gluten free menu available and did they understand what gluten free meant?

"The server (who was a Team Leader) was aware that there were gluten free dishes on the menu but wasn’t clear about what that entailed or about other considerations concerning gluten free safe food preparation. The original dish I ordered was not available and when I asked what else on the menu would be suitable for a gluten free diet, he replied ‘I really don’t know, I don’t know what you mean by coeliacs."

What did you order?

"I ordered the beef casserole but it wasn’t available, so I ordered steak with a jacket potato. We had nachos to start."

Were you impressed with the quality of the food?

"Unfortunately, in this particular sample restaurant, my food was overly seasoned and had obviously been on the hot plate for ages as the salad was piping hot. My steak was overdone for my taste and the jacket potato was under-cooked in places. We asked for the sauces to be separate to the nachos but they came with the sauces drizzled all over them."

How did the cost of the gluten free menu compare with other gluten free restaurants you’ve visited?

"I felt it was expensive in comparison to other gluten free restaurants I’ve visited. For the price of the meal I would expect the restaurant to have had a dedicated gluten free menu and far superior service and choice."

Would you recommend this restaurant to others who follow a gluten free diet? Would you visit this restaurant again?

"It’s difficult to judge a whole chain on the experience of one restaurant, but I wouldn’t visit this particular Wetherspoon restaurant again until the staff were significantly better educated about gluten free food and safe food preparation. The service and quality of food would also need to improve to tempt me back. It was great that Wetherspoon are making an effort to cater for anyone on a gluten free diet but it all seemed a bit of a half-hearted effort in this particular Wetherspoon outlet."

A spokesman said:
“We label dishes with 'GF' (gluten free) on the menu next to the dish name. This is expanded upon in the terms & conditions small print. From Wednesday 7 April there will be a new menu change which will have
6 gluten free dishes. We are constantly looking to develop more new menu dishes and options to expand this range. Last year we developed a gluten free crumble dessert. Additionally, we offer the salmon fillet and seven steak meals with jacket potato instead of chips to make all of these gluten free and this is clearly explained on the menu. This gives a total of 13 menu meals that are gluten free (over 20% of all dishes), excluding our curry club meals. We endeavour to train our employees on how to deal with special dietary requirements, however, on this occasion, it appears that some re-focus is required.”

Next stop was Las Iguanas, an America restaurant chain with 22 restaurants in England and Wales. They have a dedicated gluten free menu which includes tapas, fish, steak, chicken and salads. Kate visited the Brighton branch of Las Iguanas.

What did you think of the gluten free labelling on the menu?

"On request I was given a separate gluten free menu which was clear and well labelled."

Was there a good choice of gluten free food on the menu?

"There were several items on the menu which weren’t available, but despite this there was lots of choice on the menu of main meals and tapas."

Were the staff aware about the gluten free menu available and did they understand what gluten free meant?

"Not only did the waitress seem well versed on the ins and outs of the gluten free menu but she also understood about cross contamination and safe food preparation. She answered all of the questions I had about certain dishes, and she was happy to alter the meals to cater for me."

What did you order?

"I had Chubby Gamba’s to start and Carnes for main, with a sticky Ipanema mess for pudding."
Chubby Gamba’s are whole prawns cooked in a garlic, lemon and chilli sauce. Carnes is steak
with a garlic and chipotle sauce served with sweet potato mash. Sticky Ipanema Mess is
layers of guava, marscarpone, yoghurt, raspberries and crushed meringue.

Were you impressed with the quality of the food?

"Yes, there was a big emphasis on food quality and the use of non GM food, and all the ingredients were obviously fresh and of good quality, and everything was well prepared and yummy."

How did the cost of the gluten free menu compare with other gluten free restaurants you’ve visited?

"I would say the meal was ever so slightly over priced, but considering the great service, excellent quality of the produce and brilliant cooking it was definitely worth it. Compared to other restaurants, I would say it was still good value for money."

Would you recommend this restaurant to others who follow a gluten free diet? Would you visit this restaurant
again?

"With such a good menu and wide choice I would definitely visit again and would recommend it to anyone whether you are on a gluten free diet or not. It’s amazing how much good or bad service affects the experience you have at a restaurant, and the staff inspired confidence and eased any worries about the possibility of getting a ‘glutening’. It was also nice to have grub that wasn’t exactly run of the mill and the usual burgers/jacket potatoes/egg and chips offerings."

A spokesman said:
“We firmly believe that no one should be excluded from enjoying a great night out because of their dietary needs, and have worked really hard to ensure that we can provide a wide selection of gluten-free dishes for our guests alongside our vegetarian and nut-free options. Because of the number of dishes cooked fresh to order we are able to also include ‘ask for gluten free’ options where we can omit certain ingredients. It is something that is constantly under review and an important part of our product knowledge training.”

Finally Kate ventured to Wagamama. Wagamama is a nationwide pan-asian inspired noodle restaurant chain. Their gluten free menu includes noodles, rice dishes and seafood. Kate visited the Brighton branch of Wagamama.

What did you think of the gluten free labelling on the menu?

"It was excellent. The waitress provided me with a separate gluten free menu which was clear and well labelled and included sections on what to leave out of certain dishes to make them gluten free."

Was there a good choice of gluten free food on the menu?

"Yes, there was a great selection of mains, sides and vegetarian options as well as gluten free condiments such as soy sauce."

Were the staff aware about the gluten free menu available and did they understand what gluten free meant?

"When I told the waitress I was gluten free, she gave me a separate gluten free menu and pointed out which dishes could be altered to be gluten free. She seemed well educated on the menu, and without me mentioning it, she assured me about cross contamination and told me the chefs were fully aware about the importance of this regarding coeliacs."

What did you order?

"Edamame to start and, Chan Han for main."
Edamame is freshly steamed green soya beans. Cha Han is stir fried rice with egg, chicken, prawns, mangetout, sweetcorn, spring onions, shitake and white mushrooms accompanied by a bowl of miso soup and pickles.

Were you impressed with the quality of the food?

The food was obviously fresh, well cooked and yummy. Everything I ordered came as requested.

How did the cost of the gluten free menu compare with other gluten free restaurants you’ve visited?

"Even when you take the excellent service and brilliant food out of the equation Wagamama is such good value for money, reasonable and couldn’t even been compared to some other restaurants for value for money."

Would you recommend this restaurant to others who follow a gluten free diet? Would you visit this restaurant
again?

"I would visit again and most definitely recommend Wagamama to anyone following a gluten free diet. From start to finish the experience was excellent, the staff had obviously been well educated regarding coeliacs and other dietary requirements and the food was gorgeous. I can’t imagine many people who wouldn’t be swayed by the clean food and positive living mantra or the huge portions which are brilliant value for money."

A spokesman said:
Wagamama were not available to comment.

If you’ve visited a gluten free restaurant and sampled the gluten free offering share your story with DS-gluten free and comment below! To read more about gluten free blogger Kate Jeffs you can visit her blog "A Girl's Guide to Gluten Free Baking" or download your very own copy of DS Discover Magazine.






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