Gluten free at The Oxford Place in Leeds

Another superb meal at The Oxford Place in Leeds.

We're BIG fans of The Oxford Place restaurant in Leeds. It serves excellent food and the team there do so much to make the dining experience as normal as possible for people with Coeliac Disease. It's brilliant to be able to dine at a 100% gluten free place.

We had a fantastic three course meal there for our recent wedding anniversary.

I had the Duck & Yorkies for my main - the confit duck leg is hidden behind the Yorkshire puddings and under the fried duck egg!

Check out The Oxford Place's website for more information.

Ready to tuck in!

Carozza

My dessert was the Trillionaire's Slice

A Trillionaire's Slice!

Emily had the cod dish - it was similar to the dish I had there on our last visit. It looked delicious, and Emily said it was

We can't wait for our next meal there already!

Gluten Free Kitchen Stockport

Finding a 100% gluten free market stall in Cheadle Hulme.

We found Gluten Free Kitchen Stockport at a Worker Bee Market in Cheadle Hulme yesterday.

It was brilliant to find the totally gluten free stall. I bought a Black Forest Cake and Carrot Cake - both were delicious.

A rarity for me - two freshly prepared cakes!

It's been years since I've been able to buy something on the go from a market. I occasionally see 'gluten free' items, but served next to gluten containing items, or a warning to state they have been prepared in the same environment as gluten.

Black Forest gateau is one of my favourite cakes - I can't remember the last time I had one! This one from Gluten Free Kitchen Stockport was excellent

I had no trouble with that from the Gluten Free Kitchen Stockport stall. It was nice chatting to the bakers and hearing their own gluten free story. It gave peace of mind knowing the food would be safe for me to eat. That goes a very long way in making eating food enjoyable!

I took the cakes home so I could eat them with a cake fork, as I don't get to do that often

If we'd got there earlier I could've bought some savoury items too, including a Scotch Egg. However, they'd sold out by the time we got there. I can see why as the two cakes I bought were very good indeed.

Check out Gluten Free Kitchen Stockport on Instagram and Facebook for more information.

I'm very much looking forward to seeing Gluten Free Kitchen Stockport at another market in the area soon.

Gluten free at The Oxford Place in Leeds

We had another amazing meal at The Oxford Place in Leeds last Sunday.

Pan-Fried North Sea Cod with Crushed New Potatoes, Lilliput Capers and a Prosecco and Brown Shrimp Sauce - this was one of the best things I've ever eaten

It was my first meal out since last September!

Mozzarella Carozza with a Rich Basil and Tomato Sauce - note the side order of Skinny Fries, another must have to share before the main courses

I've had some brilliant meals there before, and this was right up there with the best food I've had. Delicious.

As someone with Coeliac Disease it's always nice to be able to eat out-of-the-home with safety and peace of mind. And when that is combined with delicious and interesting food (such as the Carozza) and a variety of drink options it makes the experience absolutely marvellous.

Emily had the Tempura Battered Vegetables with Homemade Sweet Chilli Sauce for her starter

The Oxford Place is a must visit restaurant if you're a Coeliac or on a gluten free diet. I've dined there with people with Coeliac Disease as well as people on 'normal' diets and we've always been impressed by the food and service.

Emily's main course of Slow Cooked Belly Pork with Baked Apple, Celeriac Purée, Crackling and a Red Wine Jus

I'm really looking forward to my next visit already.

99.9% of the time I have the Sticky Toffee Pudding for my dessert when I'm at The Oxford Place

Check out The Oxford Place's website for more information.

Our friend had the Vanilla Cheesecake - and I nabbed a bit of the ice cream. It's so nice to be able to share meals with friend, something that is very tough for people dining gluten free, unless they're somewhere that is 100% like The Oxford Place

Robotazia - a robot-themed restaurant in Milton Keynes

On our recent trip to Milton Keynes we spotted a robot-themed restaurant in the Theatre District.

Sadly it was permanently closed.

What a concept though.

The restaurant opened in 2020 and closed earlier this year.

Gluten free at The Oxford Place in Leeds

We had another superb meal at The Oxford Place.

We revisited our favourite restaurant at the weekend and had an excellent three-course meal.

It was lovely to return and once again were in the nice position of having lots and lots of choices on the 100% gluten free menu.

A very happy pair of diners

It really does make a massive difference in being able to visit a restaurant, sit down, place an order, be served, and eat great food without once worrying about cross-contamination. The team at The Oxford Place make sure your dining experience is safe and as normal as can be for someone with Coeliac Disease.

The Oxford Place really is a must visit restaurant for anyone with Coeliac Disease or gluten intolerance.

We were already thinking about what we're going to order on our next visit before we'd even paid the bill for this meal!

Check out The Oxford Place's website for more information.

Cinnabon in the UK

I saw my first Cinnabon in the UK today.

You can get a cinnamon roll at Rivington Services on the M61

There are plans to open 150 Cinnabon outlets in the UK by 2025. The number currently stands at 13 stores.

I really fancy a cinnamon roll now.

USA vs the UK

It's always interesting seeing new and different brands entering the UK. In recent times Dunkin' and Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs have popped up on the high street.

LAPD Food Stockport

Emily recently had a brilliant takeaway tea ordered from LAPD Food Stockport - they deliver your order in an American police car!

How cool is this for a delivery vehicle! I love the branding

What a brilliant thing to see driving around Cheadle Hulme.

National Hot Dog Month and National Hot Dog Day

July is National Hot Dog Month.

This year National Hot Dog Day (in the USA) is on Wednesday 21st July.

In the UK National Hot Dog Day is on Friday 10th September.

Some of the Hot Dog mascots we've seen on our travels

As someone with Coeliac Disease it can be tough to find gluten free hot dogs. Luckily we recently found Morliny Berlinki Classic and Cheese hot dogs are gluten free. And very tasty.

Find out more about hot dogs in general, National Hot Dog Month and National Hot Dog Day on the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council website.

My last pre-pandemic meal out

I had my last pre-coronavirus pandemic lockdown meal out a year ago today. In fact it was the last time I dined out full stop as eating 100% gluten free is tough enough at the best of times, let alone during a pandemic.

What a fine last meal out this was

The steak and eggs I had at Remedy Kitchen in Manchester were superb and I can't wait until it's safe to get back out and eat there again.

I REMEMBER LITTLE CHEF

Do you remember Little Chef?

Many thanks to Megan Clark-Bagnall for sending me this brilliant badge from her mission to visit all of the remaining Little Chef diners in 2017 - a total of 41.

A very nice addition to my collection

What a quest. Find out more on Megan's Little Chef website.

While the brand was an ever present through my lifetime, I don't remember stopping at Little Chef's, or even Happy Eaters, when my family were on the road for day trips and holidays. Perhaps there weren't any on the routes from Abingdon to Barry Island or Minehead. I do however remember going to the Little Chef in Berinsfield, Oxfordshire for a meal in the late 80's or early 90's.

We also used to regularly pass by the Little Chef in Flimwell while en route to Hastings for minigolf tournaments.

The last Little Chef closed its doors in 2018. Interestingly the Little Chef website is still online.

Lunch at The Remedy Kitchen in Manchester

Guess who had lunch* out yesterday?

Marvellous steak and eggs at The Remedy Kitchen in Manchester

It was delicious.

* technically I should call it 'dinner' since I now live in the North West!

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Finding 100% gluten free food.

As someone with Coeliac Disease the challenge to find food that is not only safe, but healthy and tasty when out of the house is massive.

The Remedy Kitchen in Manchester city centre is superb as it's one of the very few 100% gluten free places that are safe for people with Coeliac Disease in the whole of the UK.

I highly recommend a visit.

Check out The Remedy Kitchen website for more information.

The Remedy Kitchen was previously called 3 Squared Cafe and rebranded last year. The name is different, but the approach to serving high quality food is the same.

We first heard about the restaurant last September.

The menu is 100% gluten and wheat free, as well as being diary free and refined sugar free.

Two more great meals at The Oxford Place in Leeds

Dining 100% gluten free at The Oxford Place in Leeds.

We recently dined at The Oxford Place in Leeds for the first time since the restaurant changed hands. I'm very pleased to report that it is still offering excellent and 100% gluten free food.

I had the Ham Hock Terrine starter

We first dined there when it was called 2 Oxford Place in February last year and have tried to visit the restaurant and Leeds as often as possible since then. It really is that good.

The meal was preceded by an appetiser / amuse-bouche of Gazpacho soup

Once again we had two superb meals. After having starters and mains on Friday were were unable to fit in a dessert. But we did leave room for pudding on the Saturday.

Not the most summery of desserts - but the Sticky Toffee Pudding was absolutely delicious. It was a giant portion too

It was brilliant to feast, safe in the knowledge that the meals were 100% gluten free.

Look at the size of the crackling that came with my Pork Belly main course

Some fresh Oysters to start my second meal at 2 Oxford Place

The best burger I've had in years

There are very few places which offer 100% gluten free options and so it's brilliant to find a restaurant able to cater for people with Coeliac Disease.

Little things like NOT having to explain to the waiting staff that I have a medical condition before ordering, or asking to see a 'special' menu, makes a BIG difference. And eating with the knowledge that there is no risk of cross contamination with any gluten containing ingredients is a relief.

Long may The Oxford Place continue offering diners - Coeliac and otherwise - superb food and service. I really hope some other restaurants take a leaf out of The Oxford Place's book and make the switch to 100% gluten free.

Visit The Oxford Place website for more information, opening times and menus.

We are really looking forward to our next meal there later this summer.

Tripe in Stockport

A blog post about tripe and the Tripe Marketing Board.

Ever since I first spotted tripe on a butcher's stall at Wigan Market in 2012 I've been following the Tripe Marketing Board with interest. Although not enough interest to have actually given tripe a go. Yet. I'm fairly certain that cow's stomach is something of an acquired taste.

While shopping in Stockport's Produce Hall at the indoor market last weekend I spotted tripe for sale at Deli Delights. The first I've seen since moving to the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport last summer.

Thick seam tripe - a deli delight!

The Tripe Marketing Board tell me that up until the 1960s you could find hundreds of tripe shops throughout Lancashire, with many of the shops run by United Cattle Products (UCP) and offering nose-to-tail food at the attached cafes and restaurants.

The country's last remaining Tripe Shop is in Stalybridge. I'll have to go there when I eventually get round to travelling on the once a week Parliamentary one-way rail service from Stockport to Stalybridge.

Back in December we were in Leeds and saw that there was a new Tripe Counter at Ramsdens Fishmongers at Leeds Kirkgate Market!

What a lot of tripe!

I've also seen tripe for sale in Bolton and Blackpool.

Tripe in Bolton

Tripe in Blackpool

The Tripe Marketing Board are dedicated to educating the public about eating tripe as part of a healthy, balanced diet. The Tripe Marketing Board was an industry-wide response to the continuing post-war decline in tripe sales in the UK. This was due to the ending of rationing, increasing affluence and a widespread perception that it is not fit for human consumption.

Visit the Tripe Marketing Board website for more information about tripe. You can also use Tripe Adviser to locate sellers of the delicacy.

Links:
- Tripe Marketing Board website
- Tripe Marketing Board on Twitter
- Tripe Marketing Board on Facebook
- Stockport Market

Related blog posts:
- Marketing
- Stockport
- Food

Hot Dog mascots of Southend

On our day out in Southend we spotted quite a few Hot Dog fast food mascots - three of which were in Adventure Island, and two of those were of a style we'd not seen on our travels before.

Not a Burger

A new type of happy hot dog man mascot - this one is covered in tomato sauce, or tomato ketchup

And another - this one is mustardy

Another example of the classic self- condimentising hot dog man

We also spotted a fair few cannibal chip men too.

Don't forget that July is National Hot Dog Month!

Related blogs posts:
- Hot Dogs
- Hot Dog Man

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New Swingers Crazy Golf course in London

The opening of the brand new Swingers Crazy Golf course is getting closer.

Swingers Crazy Golf is opening on the 27th May 2016 on a brand new site and will have two 9-hole courses - The Lighthouse and The Windmill.

You'll be able to find the new Swingers venue at Swingers – the crazy golf club, 8 Brown’s Buildings (Between Bury Street and St Mary Axe), London EC3A 8AL.

We played the original Swingers Crazy Golf course in September 2014

In September 2014 we played a round on the Swingers Crazy Golf pop-up course in Shoreditch, East London. The course became the 581st miniature golf course visited and 347th played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. Check out our blog from the visit.

Emily in action at Swingers Crazy Golf

For more information check out the Swingers Crazy Golf website.

Related blog posts:
- Swingers Crazy Golf in London
- Swingers Crazy Golf in Shoreditch, London
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Minigolf and Crazy Golf courses in and around London

Link:
- https://swingers.club/uk

Give the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour a Like on Facebook, watch our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter @putting_gott and @Ems_Lems.

You can also now sign-up to receive our miniature golf newsletter.