I don't know about you, but going on holiday often makes me a little nervous. It's meant to be a time to relax, right? The trouble is, as a coeliac, it's always in the back of my mind I might be glutened.
So I was hugely pleased to discover a little place tucked away in the heart of Devon that would cater for my needs. It's called Blackdown Yurts.
We stayed in Willow, a luxury yurt with a double bed, two singles and a gorgeous little wood burner. We had our own outdoor cooking hut plus an enormous indoor communal kitchen space if it was raining.
"So what?" You might be thinking. "It's self-catering. What's so gluten-free about that?"
One word: paella. A gloriously enormous chicken and prawn paella made by the yurt owner, Katie. She kindly showed me every single ingredient she was putting in, and made the gargantuan feast outdoors.
But it doesn't just have to be paella. Katie's cooking extends to Mongolian-themed goat and lamb, too. And if you fancy trying out the local produce yourself, there's the option of cooking your own fish over an outdoor fire. (And yes, one of our party managed to catch a mackerel which he cooked that evening - the best everyone had ever tasted!)
The other thing that made the holiday more enjoyable was knowing I didn't have to cook in the communal kitchen if I didn't want to - I had my own sparkling clean outdoor cooking hut to use if I wished. And that gives great peace of mind to a coeliac, especially if at breakfast time breadcrumbs have gone everywhere.
At this point you may be wondering if I've been sponsored to write this post. The answer is a resounding no! I just happened to go on an amazing Devon holiday and thought other coeliacs would like to know about it, too.
If you'd like to find out more about Blackdown Yurts, click here (and enjoy your holiday!).