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We've been shortlisted for the FreeFrom Food Awards!

Feb 15, 2019
1 min

We've been shortlisted for the FreeFrom Food Awards!

I'm so excited! I've just received the e-mail I've been hoping for: a congratulations from the FreeFrom Food Awards that The Local Bakehouse has been shortlisted for its gluten-free vegan chocolate cupcakes. So what does this mean? It means I'm doing a little jig around the kitchen! Oh all right, it also means the cakes stand a chance of being nationally recognised as the best freefrom cakes money can buy. It also shows dashing through London last week to get to the judges in

The real cost of a gluten-free cake

Feb 12, 2019
3 min

The real cost of a gluten-free cake

People often ask why gluten-free cakes cost so much. Or why a simple victoria sponge is "overpriced". And I can see their point: it's just butter, eggs, flour and sugar, isn't it? And yet there's so-o-o-o much more to a cake than that, so I thought I'd better explain. (N.B. This should be especially useful to anyone who's wondering whether they should set up their own freefrom cake business. It's always handy to know what you're really in for!) Firstly, if you're going to bak

The best ever rice pudding for coeliacs!

Jan 29, 2019
2 min

The best ever rice pudding for coeliacs!

"Isn't rice pudding always suitable for coeliacs?" You might think so but guess what I found lurking on every single packet of pudding rice in the supermarkets? Yep, that horrid disclaimer, "may contain wheat". You'll notice the rather patronising follow-on from the "may contain" message on this packet - that wheat contains gluten. It's an educational rice packet as well as being nutritious! How can rice contain wheat? I mean, it's rice for goodness' sake! Rice is naturally g

What's in store for 2019?!

Jan 1, 2019
3 min

What's in store for 2019?!

A lot happened in 2018. A LOT. Some of it was predictable. You know, that one year on Brexit would still have everyone's knickers in a twist (aarrghh, I mentioned Brexit!). Other things were less probable, like me actually discovering the secret to a totally allergen-free cake. You may recall my excitement last month in this blog post. Entering the FreeFrom Food Awards I mean, how could I not be excited? I even changed my entry to the FreeFrom Food Awards. Last time I entered

Merry Xmas to all!

Dec 25, 2018
1 min

Merry Xmas to all!

It doesn't seem so long ago I shared with you a photo of my own little Bakehouse puddings: I can hardly believe this was last Xmas. Time has F-L-O-W-N! Both of them have got a bit more hair. The smaller pudding has learned to walk and the elder pudding has learned an exceptionally large number of variations of the word 'cake'. Given you probably have lots to do today (you know, important stuff like watching Mary Poppins and chomping your way through umpteen chocolates), I'll

What it's really like to blog (& the money you won't make)

Dec 11, 2018
4 min

What it's really like to blog (& the money you won't make)

I was greatly saddened yesterday to discover this tweet from fellow blogger, Katie Heath. Briefly, she's been writing a blog for 6 years and has been rather successful. So much so, she and her husband were invited to be in a documentary for the rather beautiful Cliveden House in Berkshire. Basically, The Times thought it appropriate to print an article where they portrayed her as a "detestable freeloader" rather than an astute businesswoman. You can see Katie's full (and well

An open letter to The Daily Mail: please stop inciting hatred for coeliacs

Nov 28, 2018
2 min

An open letter to The Daily Mail: please stop inciting hatred for coeliacs

Today's online article in The Daily Mail has made me wonder if someone has had amnesia. Which article am I referring to? This one here that tells us GPs are prescribing custard creams and battenburg cakes to coeliacs. And why is this reminding me of something? It's because it's only 3 years since The Daily Mail printed this article where they inaccurately reported the NHS were spending £116million on gluten-free prescriptions for junk food including pizza and donuts. The thin

How to make sweet potato & chicken curry

Nov 20, 2018
3 min

How to make sweet potato & chicken curry

I'm a massive fan of curries. Massive. So massive I had curry for my wedding. But I don't often make it myself. I could blame lack of time but I don't think that's really the answer. It's probably more about the fact I'm not used to doing it and therefore it doesn't come easily (a bit like ironing). Nevertheless, I won't let the (slight) fear stop me from trying, which is why I decided to get out the latest issue of Gluten-Free Heaven magazine and make Donal Skehan's Indian B

5 ways to choose the perfect wedding cake

Nov 6, 2018
3 min

5 ways to choose the perfect wedding cake

Getting married? There are so many different styles of wedding cake, you'd be forgiven for wondering how on earth you'll choose the one for you. But actually, with a few simple questions, it's easy to narrow it down to a style you'll love (without wondering if you should have chosen something else). Your venue. Is it a lavish castle or a small, rustic barn? Would a little cake suit the enormous surroundings? Would a woodland theme go with the modern art deco building you're i

Should people with allergens eat out?

Oct 23, 2018
3 min

Should people with allergens eat out?

If the recent high profile allergen cases in the media are anything to go by, it seems everyone has an opinion on medically necessary diets and how people should handle them. So here are some of my own experiences of eating out as a coeliac. Although it doesn't mean an allergic reaction, it is a medical condition that means totally avoiding gluten (& "cereals containing gluten" is one of the 14 listed allergens). I'm hoping this post will help people who have someone in their

A Pleasant Surprise At The Gym Cafe

Aug 14, 2018
2 min

A Pleasant Surprise At The Gym Cafe

I don't like buying a banana at a café. I don't go to a café to eat fruit. I go there to enjoy a coffee or a pot of tea and, if I'm lucky, a gluten-free cake. But seeing a slightly green banana is a tad disappointing. For anyone who's regularly tried it, eating out at a café can be somewhat limiting as a coeliac. Sometimes there'll be something I can have, like a brownie or a packet of crisps, but it's rare to see a good choice, and often that underripe banana is there at the

10 Naturally Gluten-Free Puddings To See You Through Summer

Jul 3, 2018
3 min

10 Naturally Gluten-Free Puddings To See You Through Summer

Pudding is the best part of a meal for many of us. But as coeliacs it's remarkable just how many restaurants offer only fruit as a dessert. Sometimes you can get lucky with a gluten-free brownie and a scoop of icecream. But wouldn't it be fab if there could be more naturally gluten-free puddings on the menu - things that even people without dietary restrictions would choose without hesitation? To help fuel the imagination, I've put together a top ten list. It includes many of

What it's like eating gluten-free in Madeira

Jun 19, 2018
3 min

What it's like eating gluten-free in Madeira

So for all of you who didn't realise, my 'guess the pic' photo last week was of a Madeira guide book (from a very knowledgeable chap at Lonely Planet). That said, he didn't focus on dietary requirements, so here's the lowdown on what it's really like for coeliacs. Before you go: I packed the essentials: suncream, sunhat and 3 laminated Portuguese gluten-free restaurant cards. I know some people rely on their phones to show another language what they mean by gluten-free but I

Guess where I've been?!

Jun 15, 2018
1 min

Guess where I've been?!

You may have wondered where Tuesday's usual blog post went. Why is she posting on Friday? Why the 3 day delay? Well, I was on holiday. I could pretend I was doing it for you (i.e. investigating gluten-free options in a foreign country) but that'd be a big and very obvious fib. So the question is, where was I on holiday? Can you guess from my ickle clues in the photo? I'll admit the Portuguese gluten-free restaurant card is a bit of a giveaway, but it's not quite what you thin

Look how far gluten-free has come!

May 30, 2018
1 min

Look how far gluten-free has come!

The other day I was really impressed to see how much gluten-free food was on offer in the frozen section. In fact, I was so pleased I took a photo of it. I'm not sure which would have been more surprising at the turn of the century - the food or the photo. The reason I mention time is because it's nearly twenty years since I got my coeliac diagnosis and first had to look for gluten-free food. For those of you who were in the same boat back then, you'll remember how dismal it

Why coeliac awareness week was so great

May 22, 2018
2 min

Why coeliac awareness week was so great

I don't often like seeing red on things. It reminds me of getting my work marked at school and having to re-do it. But last week it was different. Far from red being the warning sign I'm used to, it indicated a price reduction in all the best ways - on gluten-free food. I don't think it was a coincidence this was coeliac awareness week. Supermarkets plan things a long time in advance. Those little red stickers were there to encourage coeliacs to try new food, buy more gluten-

How to rock(et) an egg-free birthday!

May 8, 2018
2 min

How to rock(et) an egg-free birthday!

As you know, I'm all about gluten-free. And I often get asked to do vegan cakes, too. Usually, though, it's because the customer's chosen not to eat egg. Sometimes it's religious, sometimes moral, and I don't really ask why. However, when your son turns two and one of his little guests can't have egg because he goes into anaphylactic shock, it suddenly takes egg-free cake to a new level. Rather like having coeliac disease, there's no question of there being a tiny bit of egg

Stop the cheating coeliacs!

Apr 24, 2018
2 min

Stop the cheating coeliacs!

So this appeared on my Twitter feed and I felt compelled to send out a message to others. I know that being on a gluten-free diet isn't always easy. In fact, sometimes it's bloomin' hard work. But that doesn't mean you can just have a sneaky bagel or a sip of beer. A coeliac diet is for life. Symptoms differ in coeliacs. Some people are 'silent' coeliacs, meaning they don't get noticeable symptoms but still inwardly suffer if they eat gluten. These are the people that worry m

The most amazing gluten-free Easter ever!

Apr 3, 2018
2 min

The most amazing gluten-free Easter ever!

I've just had the most fabulous Easter (in spite of the weather) and the entire thing was gluten-free. You may wonder why I'm boasting. The thing is, I see lots of posts about how coeliacs (or anyone who has to avoid a food group) feel miserable at special events (my posts included). So I thought it was about time I shared a happy moment. Let me whisk you back to last week... I decided to watch Julie & Julia. If you've not seen it, it's a wonderful film starring Meryl Streep

Is the most infuriating thing for a coeliac to see?

Mar 12, 2018
1 min

Is the most infuriating thing for a coeliac to see?

Most of the time I love seeing a GF symbol. It saves me reading through a ton of ingredients and makes my supermarket run just that little bit shorter. But I've never come across this before: the GF symbol followed by a 'may contain gluten' disclaimer. WHAT THE?!!! Seriously? And it turns out it's not (yet) illegal. According to the Food Standards Agency, it's simply 'best practice' not to use a 'may contain' statement. Click here to read more (but be warned: you may find you