The Codfather in Sudbury

The latest Godfather-inspired business name and sign we've seen was in Sudbury, Suffolk.

What a typo!

What about this for a typo...

Whoops

Christmas all wrapped up at Hastings Adventure Golf

I've heard from the team at Hastings Adventure Golf they now offer minigolf gift vouchers.

In addition to being one of our favourite places for a game of minigolf, Hastings Adventure Golf has a Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence and now you can give the gift of the quintessential British seaside day out with gift vouchers for every occasion. Starting from £7.00 for a round of minigolf, or £20 for unlimited golf on its three 18-hole courses.

In action on hole 10 of the Pirate Adventure Golf course in Hastings

This year the venue also opened a fish and chip shop - and thankfully it's undercover, in the warm and away from the pesky seagulls that'll try to mug you for a chip, or your minigolf ball!

I wonder what the seagulls behave like in wintery weather conditions?

We've played the three courses at Hastings Adventure Golf countless times since our first visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in 2007.

We haven't ever played the Hastings course in the snow, but we have played in some very crazy weather conditions in the seaside town over the years.

Find out more about prices, gift vouchers and opening times on the Hastings Adventure Golf website.

Related blog posts:
- Hastings
- Seagulls
- Christmas

Gluten free at Oldswinford Fish and Chips

Gluten free at the Oldswinford Fish and Chip shop in Stourbridge.

While at the Kaleidoscope classic television event in Stourbridge I had a wander down the road to Oldswinford for a spot of lunch.

Ahead the trip to Stourbridge my mate Brad had found out that Oldswinford Fish & Chips did gluten free fish and chips each Saturday lunch time between 12 and 2pm.

I had looked at the website in advance and when I arrived at the shop I asked the important questions about the type of flour used, the cooking area, utensils and cross-contamination.

The answers I received gave me the confidence to order and I'm glad I did as I received a big portion of battered cod and chips.

Gluten free fish and chips from Oldswinford Fish & Chips in Stourbridge. Delicious

While there I also purchased a bottle of Glu2Go non-brewed condiment for my cupboard at home.

You can find Oldswinford Fish & Chips at 140 Hagley Road, Oldswinford, Stourbridge, West Midlands, DY8 2JD. It's well worth a visit.

Links:
- Oldswinford Fish & Chips
- Oldswinford Fish & Chips gluten free information
- Oldswinford Fish & Chips on Twitter
- Oldswinford Fish & Chips on Facebook
- Glu2Go / Land & Sea Gluten Free

Related blog posts:
- Gluten Free Fish & Chips that we've found on our travels

- Gluten Free

- Coeliac

Gluten free chips for Chip Week 2015

A blog post for Chip Week 2015.

This year Chip Week is taking place between 16 and 22 February.

As someone with Coeliac Disease my life is somewhat dominated by my strict and life-long gluten free diet. However, I try not to let this stand in my way of having a good meal and enjoying one of my favourite dishes - Fish & Chips.

The very first gluten free chip I ate as a newly diagnosed Coeliac in 2008

Obviously, potatoes in their 'natural' form are gluten free. However, in the journey to become chips and to land on your plate they often undergo an interesting journey where they become contaminated with gluten, and therefore unsafe for Coeliacs.

So at home we normally make and cook our own chips, fries and wedges. It's a lot safer, and often tastier that way.

The two bags of oven chips that are always a stock item in our freezer are by McCain. The Original Oven Chips (Fat Chips - Straight Cut) and Quick Cook French Fries are both gluten free. You might think that more oven chips would be gluten free, but you'd be wrong!

On our travels around the UK's seasides we're always on the lookout for gluten free Fish & Chips. After my diagnosis in May 2008 the first place I managed to find some were at Rossi's in Swansea in August of that year.

A large portion of chips, with fish. With a side order of chips. All gluten free and served up at the Fish Factory in Worthing

If you are looking for gluten free chip options when out and about do make sure you double-check on the source, preparation, cooking and serving of the chips to ensure that cross-contamination with gluten-containing food items hasn't and doesn't happen. On a number of occasions I've been told that gluten free food is cooked in the same fryer as gluten-containing food!?

I couldn't of put it better myself. The Quayside Fish & Chip shop and restaurant in Whitby has the right idea

Check out the Chip Week website for more information, recipes, facts, fun and a quiz on chips.

Barley Malt Vinegar isn't safe for Coeliacs as it contains gluten, that's why I'm always pleased to see restaurants and takeaways serving non-brewed condiment with food. You can't beat chips covered in salt and vinegar

This year Coeliac UK will be running it's own Awareness Week between 11 and 17 May and focussing on changing the current state of diagnosis in the UK.

Chip Week Updates:

While shopping in our local Co-op we picked up a bag of potatoes to make some wedges with this week - the bag had a Chip Week sticker on it

Lots of chips for Chip Week. And some tasty veg. And oh look, a rib eye steak is on the plate too

Non-brewed condiment - great with chips and a stock item in my cupboard as Coeliacs can't tolerate barley malt vinegar

Links:

- Chip Week 2015 website
- #ChipWeek
- The Potato Council website
- The Potato Girls on Twitter
- Love Chips on Facebook

Related blog posts:
- Gluten Free Fish & Chips that we've found on our travels
- Coeliac Awareness Week 2015

Gluten Free fish and chips at The Fish Factory

Finding gluten free fish and chips on the menu at The Fish Factory in Littlehampton and Worthing.

As I mentioned in my recent interview with Glutenlibre one of the things I really miss being able to easily find as a Coeliac is Fish & Chips.

However, on our recent trip to Littlehampton and Worthing Emily and I were lucky enough to find both towns have a branch of The Fish Factory - two restaurants with an extensive gluten free menu.

The food and service at The Fish Factory restaurants in Littlehampton and Worthing get a big thumbs-up from me. Here I am about to tuck into a giant bit of haddock!

My standard question when dining out at new places is what measures they have in place to guard against cross-contamination and it was great to hear that they cook all of the food in separate fryers etc. and that they have a number of regular Coeliac customers.

On our first visit to The Fish Factory in Littlehampton I opted for a starter of The Fish Factory Pâté - it was delicous and the two homemade gluten free rolls were a nice touch. This was followed by the Cod and Chips. The chips were very good indeed.

We dined at the Worthing branch twice on our visit to the town - once for lunch and once for dinner.

The menu is the same throughout the day and the restaurants are open 11am to 11pm.

On our lunchtime visit I had the Skate, with Mash and a Caper Butter sauce. And on our evening visit I opted for the Haddock and Chips, along with a bowl of mushy peas. The meals are also served with gluten free tartare sauce.

Emily had the Dakshin River Catfish and the Plaice Fillet - both of which are also on the gluten free menu.

The Fish Factory also serves Estrella Damm Daura gluten free beer which is great.

We'll definitely be back for more great food next time we're in the area.

Check out my blog post on all of the fish and chips shops and restaurants we've found on our travels, along with Travel Gluten Free and Gluugle for reviews of gluten free places we've been to.

Links:

- The Fish Factory

- Gluten free blog posts

- Gluten Free Fish & Chips that we've found on our travels

- Gluten Free Ales, Beers and Lagers

Great gluten free fish and chips at the Quayside in Whitby

While on a recent road-trip we visited the North Yorkshire seaside resort of Whitby.

Emily and I love visiting new seasides and exploring new places and the trip was made even better when we found that a number of places offered gluten free food!

We decided to have a sit down fish and chip lunch at the Quayside Restaurant as we were impressed by the range of gluten free options on the menu, plus the sign in the window that said "Gluten Free is an option, not an afterthought. We are proud to serve 'Gluten Free Fish & Chips'. Not necessary to pre-book, we will cook to order."

Peace of mind was further given by a note on the menu that explained that gluten free options are cooked separately to 'normal' food.

The Quayside has won multiple awards in the fish & chips and food industry

When I ordered my lunch I stated that I needed gluten free as I am a Coeliac and the waiter also mentioned the separate pans and utensils used for gluten free food.

The Quayside Fish & Chip Shop and Restaurant has lots of gluten free options. The menu is clear and the prices are no different for gluten free options. They also have gluten free vinegar available and the tartare sauce is gluten free too.

They've really gone all out to ensure people who are on a (strict) gluten free diet are well catered for.

I had fish & chips, a gluten free bread roll, tartare sauce and home-made mushy peas. And I'll certainly be back for more. If I hadn't have been driving I would've also had a bottle or two of the Green's Gluten Free lager that's on the menu.

A great (gluten free) meal at the Quayside in Whitby

As a bonus, when the bill arrived it came with a specially designed Postcard! I'd heard about this through Brian Lund at Picture Postcard Monthly and it was great to actually receive one of the limited edition postcards.

You can find the Quayside Fish & Chip restaurant and takeaway at 7 Pier Road, Whitby, North Yorkshire, YO21 3PU.

Links:

- Quayside Fish & Chips

- Gluten Free Fish & Chips that we've found on our travels

- Gluten Free Ales, Beers and Lagers

Great Gluten Free Tea Rooms

Details of the excellent Tea Rooms we've found that can cater for Coeliacs by providing Gluten Free options.

On our travels around the country to visit seasides and play minigolf we're always keen to find new places to eat out at. This can often be a problem as I am a Coeliac so must only eat Gluten Free food. However, we have found some excellent restaurants, cafes, takeaways and tea rooms on our journeys.

The latest great Tea Room we visited was the Post Office Tea Rooms in St Leonards, East Sussex. The food, service and prices are great. We were visiting the area for three days and we ate at the Tea Room on each of them as there was so much variety on offer.

On my first lunchtime visit I opted for a dish from the Breakfast menu (served all day), this was the Scotch woodcock. I'd never heard of it before, but it was delicious. It consists of scrambled eggs on toast topped with anchovies and capers. It's a must try meal. I finished off with a dessert of the Lemon Sponge Cake.

On our second visit I tried one of the special, the Lamb Hot Pot with Vegetables. My wife chose the Bubble & Squeak as we had seen a fellow diner order this the day before. The Hot Pot was a big portion full of lamb and potatoes and was very filling and very tasty.

On our third visit I opted for the Bubble & Squeak, which comes topped with two fried eggs. Again it's a big portion of very tasty food, well prepared and at a great price. My wife chose the Cream Tea which looked very good. I also found out that GF Cheese Scones are always stocked so I'll be trying those next time too.

The team at the Post Office Tea Rooms offer so many great dishes and events and are very keen that customers are well catered for. The Post Office Tea Rooms is not only a great example of a Tea Room from a bygone era, but is also a blueprint of how Coeliacs/Gluten Free can be catered for. I can't wait to go back again!

Emily and a Lamb Hotpot

 

Me and my Scotch Woodcock at the Post Office Tea Room!

 

Crabtree & Evelyn, Stratford-upon-Avon - When in Stratford-upon-Avon I always make a visit to the excellent Tea Room at Crabtree & Evelyn. They have some great Gluten Free cakes, which I normally buy two of! They also have savoury dishes on offer that can be Gluten free too.

Oaks Tea Room in Felixstowe, Suffolk - The Oaks Tea Room has a great range of Gluten Free options. On our visit I chose the Chicken Liver Pate, which came served with new potatoes, salad and GF toast. it was a very tasty and filling meal. The staff at the Oaks Tea Room also delivered excellent service and make a variety of specials, many of which are Gluten Free. A must-visit if you're in Felixstowe.

Merrivale in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk - Model Village, Crazy Golf, Gluten Free Food and an Old Arcade Museum! - The menu itself shows lots of items marked 'GF' and when ordering we found out that other dishes could be adapted if necessary. The cakes, pies and pastries etc. were home made, and all of the cooking was done in separate cookers/fryers, meaning I was able to have Fish & Chips (which was also served with a good side-salad and lots of peas), it was a very big portion indeed. As there were so many GF options available I was greedy and also ordered the Mushroom, Potato, Tomato and Onion Pasty, which was very well made and very very tasty. After our food had settled we headed off for a paddle in the sea and a wander around the Pleasure Beach and then went back to Merrivale for a Cake. The choice again was huge and I opted for the Chocolate Cake.

Cooks Collection, Ampthill, Beds - The Tea Room at the Cooks Collection cookware shop serves Gluten Free options. On my flying visit I had a chat with the staff who showed me the Gluten Free Cupcakes, Cookies and Cake. They also have Gluten Free Rolls, and the soup was GF too. The Tea Room is open seven days a week too. I had a Cupcake which was very tasty indeed.

 

Charlies Cafe Bar, Worcester, Worcestershire - While travelling to Wales we stopped off in Worcester and spotted that Charlies Cafe Bar served Gluten Free options. We didn't have a full meal, but instead bought a couple of cakes. I managed to get the last piece of Marble Cake and upon eating it could see why it had sold out.

 

Other tea Rooms that we've spotted that offer Gluten Free options, but haven't had time (or hunger) to eat at include:

- Bonnets in Felixstowe, Suffolk

- Otto Cafe Regent, Cambridge

- Love Cafe, St Leonards, East Sussex

- Smith's Real Food, St Leonards, East Sussex

You can also get a "Nice Cup of Tea" at 5js Cafe at Lodmoor Country Park in Weymouth, Dorset.

We're also big fans of Fish & Chips and have also found a number of Fish & Chip Shops catering to the Gluten Free market. You can check out a blog post on some of our top finds at - "Gluten Free Fish & Chips that we've found on our travels"

I also regularly contribute reviews of places that we find that are able to cater for Coeliacs at the Travel Gluten Free website.

Link:

- Coeliac UK - The charity working for people with coeliac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis (DH).

Gluten Free Fish & Chips that we've found on our travels

Details of Gluten Free Fish & Chip Shops and Restaurants we've visited on our travels to date.

On our travels around the UK we're always on the look out for new places to eat out, and for (often elusive) Gluten Free Fish & Chip Shops!

Tucking into my first plate of Gluten Free Fish & Chips at Rossi's in Swansea in 2009

To date we've found Gluten Free Fish & Chips to be served in the following locations:
- Rossi's Fish & Chips - Swansea, Wales
- Rhos Harbour Bistro - Colwyn Bay, Wales
- The Paragon Fish & Chip Shop - Birchington, Kent
- Old Harbour Fish Bar - Weymouth, Dorset
- Baldock, Herts (Fish 'N' Chick'n') - GF served on the last Tuesday of the month
- Cox's of Letchworth - Letchworth Garden City, Herts - GF available daily
- Fairwater Fish & Chip Bar - Fairwater (Coed Eva), Cwmbran, Wales - GF available daily
- Deep Blue - Woburn Sands, Bucks
- The Big Fish - Milverton, Leamington Spa
- The Big Fish - Hockley Heath, Solihull - Update: September 2012 - Now called Nelson's and only serves GF on Wednesday's
- Merivale Tea Rooms - Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
- Kingfisher Chip Shop and Restaurant - Keswick
- Godfrey's Fish & Chips - Harpenden, Herts
- Ivan's Fish & Chips - Cradley Heath, West Midlands - serves Gluten Free Fish & Chips between 5pm and 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays
- Tomlin's Fish & Chips - Southbourne, Dorset
- Atlantic Fish Bar - Kingsbury (between Birmingham and Tamworth)
- The Truscott Arms - Maida Vale, London
- Quayside Fish & Chips - Whitby, North Yorkshire

On our trip to Southwold a couple of years ago we also noticed that once a month they serve Gluten Free Fish & Chips in the Restuarant on the Pier.

Churchills Chippy in Southend-on-Sea offer Gluten Free Fish & Chips, but on our visit we found out that while the batter mix is made to be GF, the food is still cooked in the same oil and fryer as Gluten containing foods.

On a trip to South Shields Emily spotted that Colmans Fish & Chips Shop does Gluten Free options every last Saturday of the month.

A recent tweet from Deep Blue Restaurants (a chain of Fish & Chip shops - of which Woburn Sands is one) told me that they have eight restaurants now serving Gluten Free. Great news.

I've heard via Facebook that Chamberlain's Quality Fish & Chips in Birmingham can do Gluten Free Fish & Chips every day apart from between 5.30pm and 8.30pm on Friday and Saturday evenings. I noticed that they sell Estrella Damm Duara beer there too!

I contribute reviews of any places that I find offering Gluten Free options/catering for Coeliacs to the Travel Gluten Free and Gluugle websites. I also tweet any that I find.

Please check out the comments below for other tips and recommendations of gluten free fish & chip shops.

Links:
- Blog Post - Great Gluten Free Tea Rooms
- Blog Post - Gluten Free Ales, Beers and Lagers
- Coeliac UK - The charity working for people with coeliac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis (DH)

Gluten Free Fish & Chips at the Fairwater Fish & Chip Bar, Fairwater (Coed Eva), Cwmbran, Wales

On Saturday 21st August 2010 we visited the Fairwater Fish & Chip Bar in Fairwater (Coed Eva), Cwmbran, Wales as we'd heard they sold Gluten Free Fish & Chips.

And they did!


They also sell a wide-range of Gluten Free Fish & Chip shop classics that are safe for Coeliacs to eat - including Battered Sausages, an absolute rarity!

Highly recommended, very knowledgeable staff and very tasty Gluten Free food!

Contact details for the Fairwater Fish & Chip Bar:
15 Fairwater Square
Fairwater, Cwmbran, Gwent NP44 4TA
01633 485 262

Gluten Free Fish & Chips in Letchworth Garden City

I had some excellent Gluten Free Fish & Chips today from Cox's Of Letchworth (2 Arena Parade, Letchworth Garden City).

The staff are very knowledgeable and the great thing is, the Gluten Free options are served every day!



Cox's Of Letchworth also do Gluten Free Chicken.

Can't wait for my next visit.

Gluten Free Fish & Chips in Weymouth at the Old Harbour Fish Bar

To round off a successful weekend of minigolf on the course we headed for the Old Harbour Fish Bar (formerly Maguires) in Weymouth for some well earned Gluten Free Fish and Chips.

I must say that it was one of the best portions of Fish and Chips I've ever had (Gluten Free or 'normal')!

Paragon Gluten Free Fish & Chips in Birchington

While we were in Kent for the BMGA British Open we managed to find a Fish & Chip shop that served Gluten Free food.

The Paragon Fish & Chip shop in Birchington-on-Sea (near Margate) served up some great GF chips and a good piece of battered Cod too.

Gluten Free Fish & Chips in Colwyn Bay at the Rhos Harbour Bistro

After a heavy day's Minigolf it was time to enjoy some very good Gluten Free Fish & Chips at the Rhos Harbour Bistro in Colwyn Bay.



Rhos Harbour Bistro has an excellent menu for Coeliacs, check out their website here.

Of the 26 seasides visited while in Wales on our Crazy Golf and Minigolf Tour and the 77 seasides we've been to since September 2006 The Rhos Harbour Bistro is only the second place I have found that serves Gluten Free Fish & Chips on the coast. The other was Rossi's Fish & Chips in Swansea.

Gluten Free Fish & Chips at Rossi's in Swansea

Prior to competing in the Cystadleuaeth Minigolff Cymraeg (Welsh Minigolf Tournament) in Swansea we found a Fish & Chip Shop that catered for Coeliacs so I was able to treat myself to Gluten Free Fish & Chips for the first-time!



Rossi's Original Fish & Chips can be found at 235-240 Neath Rd, Landore, Swansea, SA1 2JG. check out the Rossi's website and Facebook page.

More information about Coeliac Disease can be found on the Coeliac UK website.

Related blog posts:
- Gluten Free Fish & Chips that we've found on our travels
- Gluten Free
- Coeliac Disease