Pizza Express

Through the joys of social networking, I learnt yesterday that Pizza Express are the next restaurant to jump on the gluten free bandwagon.  Great news! 

I then did a bit of research and was quite disappointed after finding out that they'd trialed this in a few of their branches last year. It would seem that back then, they were targetting the fad dieters, even stating on their menu "We know lots of you are now going gluten free.." They also had a disclaimer stating that, although the pizza bases were gluten free, because they used flour in their fresh dough, the couldn't guarantee that they won't contain any gluten. Pointless for anyone with coeliac disease, and not worth the risk!

I have since found out that, like Domino's and Pizza Hut, Pizza Express have been working closely with Coeliac UK to produce a safe menu for coeliacs, not just people who are going gluten free as a lifestyle choice.

Take a look at the e-mail below:

Hello, 

In the last few months you have contacted us to ask about gluten-free options on our menu, so I wanted to write to you with what I hope you will agree is some great news. 

From Tuesday 30th April, PizzaExpress will be offering an exciting new range of dishes that have been certified as ‘No Gluten Containing Ingredients’ (NGCI) by Coeliac UK. Given our love for pizza, we’re particularly pleased to tell you that you’ll be able to order nearly all of our pizza recipes, with the exception of just a couple of ingredients, on a gluten-free classic pizza base. We’ll also have a number of other gluten-free dishes for you to choose from, including a new Risotto d’Oro starter, a gluten-free Brownie for dessert and even a gluten-free Pilsner beer.  

To help us create these new dishes, we’ve been working closely with Coeliac UK to make sure that we fully understand the changes we can make in our kitchens and with our teams. This way we hope that you can have confidence when ordering gluten-free products in our restaurants.
For example, every one of our team members has been trained to deliver gluten-free dishes to our customers safely. We have also taken a number of steps to prepare our kitchens for our new menu, including clear labelling and storage of gluten-free ingredients, as well as new equipment to be used only for the preparation of gluten-free food. Finally, our pizzaiolos use flour to toss and stretch our dough in our restaurant kitchens so, to avoid any risk of cross-contamination, we have replaced all the flour used in these kitchens with a new blend that is gluten-free.  

We sent our new menu off for testing and we’re very pleased to say that all the results showed that our dishes either had untraceable amounts of gluten, or fell within the accepted parameters for gluten-free food. We will, of course, continue to carry out these tests so that you can always be confident in the food that you order in our restaurants.  

Thank you for waiting while we’ve worked to ensure we do our gluten-free food the right way. 

We hope that you love it as much as we do.  

Yours sincerely,
PizzaExpress Restaurants Ltd

Thankfully, my skepticism has been alleviated now I know that they've created their menu with Coeliac UK, rather than just tailoring to fad dieters, and I now can't wait to try their new menu!

REVIEW: Zizzi

I have been meaning to do a review of Zizzi for a while now, and after eating there last night, there's no time like the present!

Zizzi is a nationwide chain of Italian restaurants similar to Strada, Prezzo and Carluccio's. They boast an impressive gluten free menu which isn't just limited to a couple of pasta dishes and salad. Their website has a separate 'special diets' menu, which lists all the food safe to eat for vegetarians and various allergies. I find this really helpful as you can plan in advance what you might have to eat, and it is particularly useful if you have trouble trusting the knowledge of the staff. They have copies of this menu within the restaurant, so make sure you ask for it when you're seated. Admittedly, when I asked to see it last night, I was told "oh you can have the pasta dishes, we just use gluten free pasta."  This isn't true. Some of the sauces contain gluten and are not safe, and there are more choices than just pasta, so be persistent in asking for the menu if you aren't offered it!

Having eaten at Zizzi before, I already knew what I wanted to order - the Strozzapreti Pesto Rosso. I love chicken pasta dishes and this one is gorgeous. Spiced creme fraiche sauce with spring onions and torn chicken breast. I am slightly confused by their special diets menu, as this dish is not listed as safe for coeliacs anymore, yet it does say it's fine in the allergen table at the back, providing the pasta is substituted.  I asked my server, and again had to ask twice as initially she said "oh it's probably not gluten free anymore then," and only sought confirmation when I explained about the table in the back of the menu. When she returned, I was told it was still fine and must be a printing error, so I'm going to raise this issue with Zizzi and ask them to recheck their menus. It would be a shame to miss out on my favourite meal because of a printing error.  Needless to say, I did order that and was fine the next day, so I'm confident it's still safe.

  My Strozzapreti Pesto Rosso. (Admittedly, it was hard not to
    divert my eyes towards my boyfriend's Rustica Pizza in the background!

Service aside, the meal was really nice. Ironically, I know I'm eating good gluten free pasta, when every mouthful has me doubting whether or not it is actually gluten free! Even my boyfriend couldn't tell the difference, but I was assured by two separate servers that it definitely was. The pasta they use is Doves Farm, and to my knowledge, I've never bought it before but I might have to add it to my trolley next time!

As with most of the gluten free menus at mainstream Italian restaurants, the only thing missing is pizza/bread options. It is understandable why they don't feature, with cross-contamination concerns etc, but it's still a shame as it would be lovely to have some garlic bread with my pasta. Perhaps they will look into some frozen/premade bread as gluten free options continue to expand and improve? I imagine that with Zizzi, it would be difficult, as their pizzas are cooked in a stone fired oven so I would rather know that what I'm eating was cooked separately and definitely safe. Lack of bread aside, the menu at Zizzi is brilliant for coeliacs. Various pasta and risotto dishes, starters (albeit only olives and prawns!), mains, sides and a couple of nice desserts are all safe, so if you like Italian food, you're bound to find something you like!

Maybe I could sneak a couple of slices of bread in my handbag next time?

REVIEW: Carluccio's

I have found that Italian restaurants are great at catering for coeliacs, which is good news for us, especially if your first thoughts were "what, no more pizza?!" when you were diagnosed. There are several mainstream Italian eateries that now have dedicated gluten free menus, or at least offer some gluten free options on their main menus.

Carluccio's restaurant in Liverpool

Owned by TV chef, Antonio Carluccio, the menu boasts delicious and traditional Italian food and has it's own separate gluten-free menu, including starters and desserts. Take a look at the menu here

Carluccio's also have a little deli style shop in their restaurants where you can purchase the authentic Italian gluten-free pasta. Their pasta is without a doubt my favourite and I always purchase another bag when I eat here! Their Cioccolato Fondente from the dessert menu is beautiful - "A warm chocolate pudding baked with almonds and Kahlua and served with vanilla ice cream." It is very rich, but definitely worth saving room for.

Eating Out - Wetherspoons

Eating out is one of the toughest challenges when it comes to Coeliac Disease. You have to be incredibly careful what you eat, need to know exactly what ingredients are used and you need to ensure there is no risk of cross-contamination. Unfortunately, the last one is never going to be possible unless it is strictly a gluten-free restaurant you're eating in.

However, awareness of gluten free food is becoming more and more common. More people are being diagnosed with Coeliac Disease and people are now going gluten free as a lifestyle choice. It is with this increase in awareness that many mainstream restaurants are starting to cater for Coeliacs.

Wetherspoons is one of the most prevalent pub chains across the UK. There are nine within a 5 mile radius of my postcode!

If you visit one of their restaurants, you will notice that their menus now have a 'GF' symbol next to food that coeliacs can eat. This includes pub favourites such as steak, gammon and curries. They also have a menu builder on their website for people with special dietary requirements. Take a look here. Wetherspoons isn't known for fantastic food, but I believe you get what you pay for and I've never been disappointed when I've eaten there. Obviously it will differ from branch to branch, but there is quite a lot on the menu for coeliacs, including a tasty fruit crumble in the Dessert section!

There is a disclaimer on the menu regarding the safety of gluten free items and cross-contamination, so it would be best to speak to your server with any concerns you may have.