BRINGING THE GLUTEN-FREE REVOLUTION TO YOU!

Here at Filmore & Union we believe that eating out should be enjoyable for everyone regardless of dietary requirements – therefore we are delighted to announce that all of our cakes are now 100% gluten-free – even our tea loaf and scones!

Many people can suffer the symptoms of coeliac disease without even realising it - never connecting intolerance to gluten to on-going bouts of illness. After finding out that they suffer from a gluten allergy we have found that many people can feel overwhelmed, and frankly, angry at the limitations that the condition poses to everyday eating. Many believe that they will never be able to eat at their favourite restaurants again - not Filmore & Union though!

What is Gluten?

Think of gluten simply as the glue in food – it holds together the structure of a fresh ciabatta, it creates the texture of your pasta, it raises your cakes and gives them that fresh doughy light structure – but don’t worry it is replaceable!

We want to show people that gluten-free food is fresh, nourishing and delicious and in many cases (we believe) can taste better than the gluten-filled option!

Even if you haven’t been diagnosed as having an actual allergy, gluten is still hard for the gut to digest and its presence makes it harder for other nutrients to be absorbed – and for people with gluten allergies virtually impossible. This delay in absorbing food can cause nutrient deficiencies, anaemia, nausea, fatigue and even depression. Digesting gluten though is hard for all of us as it essentially has the impact of slowing down digestion – something which none of us want!

So by cutting gluten out of your diet, even if you don’t have a diagnosable intolerance, your body will no longer have to work overtime on processing it and can instead focus on digesting other more beneficial nutrients.

Replacing the gluten void

Think of all the amazing foods that don’t have gluten in them already? A morning bowl of fruit and almond filled Greek yoghurt, poached eggs and asparagus, fillet steak, poached peaches, roasted pork belly, a plethora of delicious soups, most of your favourite drinks and even ice-creams – just to give a few examples! We promise you won’t go hungry!

The simplest step for removing gluten from your diet is to remove wheat products as 90% of gluten in food comes from wheat. However, gluten is hiding in many surprising places so it’s important to always carefully check packaging. We believe the simplest way to avoid it is to use entirely fresh ingredients and actually make your own food. Trust us, it’s more rewarding and you can have the peace of mind of knowing EXACTLY what has gone into it. Cooking really is your best path towards healing!

Don’t fear - there are ways of naturally replacing gluten in your diet! These include and are by no means limited to: using lentils to make up granola, quinoa for porridge, lettuce to coat your wrap fillings, chia seeds to bulk out your cereal. Or using roasted nuts, cheeses, fresh herbs, fresh meats, roasted vegetables and freshly made dressings such as lemon and olive oil to build truly enviable salads. AND one of our absolute favourites is replacing pasta with spiralized courgette – or courgetti as it’s more often known! Make sure to keep checking out our blog in the New Year when we will be doing a full feature on the power of the spiralizer.

The Filmore & Union way

We always produce dishes that are just naturally free from gluten and delicious without it rather than dishes made using artificial sugar-laden gluten free alternatives. This way even non-coeliacs can’t tell the difference between our gluten free and non-gluten free food – because our food naturally doesn’t need it to taste amazing! It really is little wonder that we have been accredited by Coeliac UK to show our passion for gluten free food.

Keep checking our blog for this week’s Recipe of the Week - which will be a beautiful gluten-free dessert for the whole family to enjoy this Christmas – allowing you to easily experience Filmore & Union food from home.