I’ve had a list of gluten free places to visit in London for a while, and last weekend I persuaded my mum to
come with me on a gluten free day trip to London
to investigate. We set off bright and early and arrived in London just after 9am accompanied by a flurry
of snow. Our first stop was Selfridges, the posh department store known for
their gourmet food section. I’d heard tell that they now offered a range of
gluten free cakes and pastries so it was with eager anticipation that we set
off.
On arrival at Selfridges we spent a happy half an hour
taking in their glorious chocolate and confectionary displays. Everything was
so nicely presented and ranged from French macarons in beautiful pastel shades
to individually wrapped bars and brightly coloured bonbons.
Next up was the cakes and pastry section. The smell as you
entered the room was wonderful. Freshly baked bread and stunning displays of
delicate French pastries and glossy fruit topped cakes. I could only look on
enviously as my mum purchased some delicious looking bread to take home. I was
eager to see what the gluten free offerings would be and asked an assistant to
point me in their direction. I had high hopes after seeing the ‘normal’
displays.
So imagine my disappointment when I was shown the gluten
free selection…
Well that about sums it up. Not much of a display at all! A
few chocolate sandwich cakes, that looked a little haphazardly put together
with no decoration or attention to detail given to them at all. There wasn’t
even any icing on top! Underwhelmed (and undervalued) is an understatement!
The assistant could see I was disappointed and said they
were going to get some more in later in the day, but that’s no good to me. It
was mid morning on a Saturday – I expected more than this. I left cakeless.
They did have a small display of fresh gluten free pasta –
which I was tempted by as I’ve never seen gluten free ravioli in my life, but
as it was the first stop on our journey and they needed to be kept chilled, I
decided not to buy any on this occasion.
I love this display of Heinz tomato soup though. What a
genius idea. A perfect little cheer up gift for a loved one who’s feeling under
the weather.
Next stop was Beyond Bread. A brand new, entirely gluten
free bakery and café that only opened this month. The minute I heard about it
and saw their baked treats I knew I had to visit.
It’s a lovely little bakery hidden down a side street not
too far from Goodge tube stop. On entering you are greeted by the delicious
aroma of freshly baked breads and cakes. The shop has a collection of little
tables and chairs as well as a long counter displaying the freshly baked tarts,
cookies, cakes and breads on offer.
We decided to stay for cake and coffee. We couldn’t decided
what to get so decided to share half each of two cakes. I selected the
chocolate muffin and my mum went for the orange & almond cake.
The chocolate muffin had a slightly misshapen appearance
which hides an almost gooey chocolaty middle. It was still warm from the oven –
yes that’s right, a chocolate muffin so freshly baked it was still warm, soft
and melty inside. Wow.
The texture was part muffin, part brownie, part soft
centered chocolate cake. It had a soft, slightly chewy outer edge with a moist
rich middle that was ever so slightly squishy, not uncooked, more like a softly
set chocolate brownie. We both agreed it was delicious and you’d never know it
was gluten free.
The orange and almond cake was quite dense but had a
delicious zingy orange flavour. It was studded with chunks or almonds which
gave it a nice bite rather than being made with solely ground almonds. There
was a zingy orange icing sugar glaze on top which finished it nicely. It was
slightly crumbly, but not dry, more like a cross between cake and shortbread.
While we finished out tea I had a look at the other things
on offer and was very impressed to see gluten free baguettes on offer. I’ve
never seen a freshly baked gluten free baguette in my life. It had the proper
slashes on it and even the little dimpled bottom markings where it had sat on
its tray – just like regular baguettes. I was so impressed. I bought one to
take home and it was delicious.
It had a proper chewy springy outer crust while the middle
was light and airy. I had some for tea and then toasted the rest the next day
and it was fabulous. I’d love to know how they made it. It even smelt like real
bread. Gluten free breads can often smell strongly of vinegar or molasses, but
this smelt wonderfully yeasty and bready. I can’t wait to go back to try some
more of their offerings. I’ve even seen photos of gluten free Danish pastries –
DANISH PASTRIES!!! I can safely say I’ll be returning as much as possible.
Next on our whirlwind tour of London was Camden Lock Market. I’d never been
before and it is an amazing display of just how multicultural and exciting London can be. Walking
through a brick built entrance from the main street you are suddenly immersed
in a whole different world of little shops, street food traders, interlocking
underground passageways and great swarms of people. (If you’re one of those
people who don’t like crowds, this isn’t the place for you).
We spent a happy hour wandering around taking in the sights,
sounds and smells. We even got a little lost down some of the alleyways and
couldn’t find our way out again. It was so exciting. Some of the little shops
displayed carved wooden antiques while others had swaths of brightly coloured shawls
and shoes that wouldn’t have looked out of place in the souks or Morocco .
When we found our way out again and came across the street
food market we decided to have lunch. There were at least 4 places offering
gluten free options and if you have no dietary restrictions you would be spoilt
for choice – everything from dim sum, stir fired noodles, gourmet toasted
sandwiches, burgers, burritos, mediterranean salads, Turkish falafel, cupcakes
and even a dedicated mac n cheese stall. The assortment of smells, and wafts of
smoke was so exciting.
After wandering round each stall at least 3 times I finally
decided on a hot salad box from a stall called Feed Me Primal. It was all Paleo
and Gluten Free. I chose the vegetarian box which included a warm stir fry of
cauliflower, beetroot and carrot with lemon and herbs that was topped with fresh
spinach, cheese, spicy salsa, picked chilies and a little almond and coconut
pancake wrap. It was all very tasty and lovely and fresh.
My mum went for a gourmet toasted sandwich from Toastits. This had sun dried tomatoes, fresh mozzarella,
spinach, avocado and basil sandwiched between 2 slices of toasted sourdough
bread. She loved it and said the bread was particularly delicious. It was so
big she couldn’t quite finish it. Despite the cold we sat outside on communal
picnic benches, watching the hustle and bustle around us which made for a great
atmosphere.
After lunch it was treat time again and we managed to find
Cookies & Scream, a gluten and dairy free vegan bake shop. It was a tiny
little shop front hidden in the market. There was a selection of 2 pies and 3
cookies when we visited.
We decided to share a chocolate chip cookie and a slice of
Chico Pie which was a fat slice of peanut butter cookie dough, studded with
chocolate chips and shaped into a pie.
The chocolate chip cookie was ok. It had a lovely strong
vanilla aroma, but I found the texture to be a bit lacking. It was quite firm,
neither chewy nor crispy. Perfectly nice, but nothing special.
The Chico Pie was much better. It really was a thick slab of
peanut butter cookie dough, and was just as delicious as it sounds. Very rich,
but not too sweet with a great natural peanut flavour. I loved the chunks of
chocolate in it too. We were quite full after our lunch and so bought this home
with us and enjoyed it the next day.
So all in all a wonderfully food filled gluten free day. The
gold star goes to Beyond Bread for creating gluten free heaven with real
innovation of the treats and breads they offer. I can’t wait to try some more
of their baking.
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