Marine Hotel, Ballycastle Co Antrim
Let me tell you a true story about the Marine Hotel, Ballycastle!
Way back in 2014 we were contacted by the Marine Hotel as they wanted to run a Gluten Free food fair in the Hotel as, believe it or not, GF food was hard to find in Northern Irish shops and supermarkets in those days!
(Coeliac UK had been approached but they were not in a position to run an event in Northern Ireland and declined the invitation!)
Although we had no experience of running such an event we agreed to give it a go and it proved to be a big success for the Hotel and the Coeliacs who attended on the day!
It was so successful and, responding to popular demand, we ran the event again in the Marine Hotel and various other venues around Northern Ireland every year until 2018.
During those years, as well as running the events we were pestering the major Northern Ireland food wholesalers to stock GF food alongside their “normal” food products and we only stopped our events when GF food became much more available in our shops and supermarkets.
We believe it was the 2014 invitation from the Marine Hotel, Ballycastle to run a GF event and our willingness to accept the challenge that has made Gluten Free products normal on the shop shelves in Northern Ireland!
Over the years we have eaten and enjoyed meals in the Marine Hotel and these days they say:
“The Marine Hotel is proud to cater for guests with coeliac disease – our service staff and chefs are all fully trained in the needs of guests who want gluten free dishes and we have recently been accredited by Coeliac UK.
Our team has also embraced the introduction of new laws covering the contents of our produce so they are best prepared to provide guidance on special dietary requirements.”
If you are heading to Ballycastle and want a Gluten Free meal the Marine Hotel is the place to eat and they have a brand new website to explore:
https://marinehotelballycastle.com/tasteofballycastle/
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Are You Thinking of Your Holidays?
If so, can we point you towards a couple in Ballymena, Co Antrim who are running a very helpful business for the Coeliac/Gluten Free community.
The Coeliac Travel Consultant – www.thecoeliactravelconsultant.com
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Check them out before you book anything and here’s one of their lists you may find useful – Pre departure action needed!
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Blank looks from Restaurant Staff
Have you ever been to a restaurant where you tried to explain you’re Coeliac and got blank looks from the staff?
Some years ago Tina and I were returning home from a short break in Paris, France and were in Charles De Gaulle airport. Tina had approached a food outlet, shown her Coeliac Disease translation card to a staff member, and asked if they had any Gluten Free bread.
The man took her card, read it and threw it back on to the counter saying “who does not eat bread!” before storming off to another part of the outlet!
That was a definite sign that we would not be eating at that food outlet but it’s not always so obvious!
If you go to a restaurant and they aren’t taking your Coeliac diet seriously then it’s a clear sign not to eat in their premises!
You should never need to convince someone to serve you safely!
Nor do you need to apologise if a food outlet can’t cater for your diet. Coeliac Disease and Gluten Intolerance is well known across the UK and Ireland and any eatery not catering is losing out on a sizable chunk of the population!
Now that the Gluten Free diet is more widely known life is not so difficult but I can well remember a time when Tina was newly diagnosed wandering from one coffee house or cafe to another looking for anywhere that could provide Tina with a GF something!! 🙂
Sometimes a restaurant or cafe can’t cater simply because of a lack of kitchen space and that’s fine, especially if they are honest about the situation rather than saying they can cater and then make you ill.
That would be totally unacceptable!
So, stay safe and always be prepared to walk away if you are not happy as there are now so many places to eat that will cater for Coeliacs and the Gluten Free diet.
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Gluten Free Glee
We know there are now a number of apps helping Coeliacs live the GF life and the folk at Gluten Free Glee have just launched theirs – www.gfglee.com
Take a look and see what they are up to!
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Visiting Galway?
Menlo Park Hotel, Galway, Ireland
Nestled in the heart of Ireland’s cultural capital, the award-winning Menlo Park Hotel stands as a beacon of Irish hospitality and modern comfort. This distinguished four-star, family-owned establishment has been welcoming guests since 1998, when it was lovingly opened by Paddy Francis and his son John on land that has been in their family for generations.
Perfectly positioned just 1.2 kilometres from Galway’s bustling Eyre Square, the hotel offers an ideal base for exploring the vibrant city and its stunning surroundings. Adjacent to the legendary Wild Atlantic Way and conveniently located near the N6, Menlo Park Hotel serves as the perfect gateway for adventurous travellers, business professionals, and visitors to NUIG or University Hospital Galway.
Over the years, Menlo Park Hotel has evolved into an impressive 81-bedroom property through continuous investment and expansion.
What truly sets Menlo Park Hotel apart is its unique position as a vibrant hub of the local community. Here, national and international guests seamlessly mingle with Galway locals, creating an atmosphere of genuine Irish craic and hospitality that cannot be manufactured or replicated.
Whether you’re seeking a romantic getaway along the Wild Atlantic Way, a comfortable base for business travel, or an authentic Irish experience in one of Europe’s most enchanting cities, Menlo Park Hotel offers the perfect blend of modern luxury and traditional Irish charm.
https://www.menloparkhotel.com
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At Big Pot Co, we’re passionate about creating fresh, flavourful food that brings comfort and convenience to every table. Founded in 2009, we’ve grown from humble beginnings into a leading producer of chilled soups and ready meals—crafted by hand, in small batches, using high-quality ingredients.
We pride ourselves on our commitment to quality, innovation, and authenticity. Every product in our range is thoughtfully developed to meet modern customer needs.
You can find a range of our products available across Northern Ireland (Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda, Spar, Centra, SuperValu) and Ireland (Dunnes Stores).
Note: Most but not all our products are created Gluten Free so always check the ingredients before purchase!
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Have you ever been out all day and returned home looking for something quick to make for dinner?
That happened to us recently and I lifted a copy of the Coeliac UK magazine to take a look through the meal ideas for a quick solution to our hunger. (Not that I was going to be doing the cooking I should add! Filling and emptying the dishwasher is my level of competence in our kitchen!)
Anyway, I spotted a meal described as “Quiche with gluten free short crust pastry” with a Preparation time of 10 Minutes and 25 Minutes Cooking time – 35 minutes in all!
Perfect, I thought, and showed it to the boss lady who, vastly experienced at reading recipes said, “Let’s look through the Method” ! That simple comment should have told me I was on very shaky ground but I said “Sure – no problem”.
I won’t bore you with a line by line description of the Method but, by the time we would have assembled the ingredients and made the pastry I reckon 20 minutes would have elapsed. It was then to be left to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes, while we heated oil in a pan and fried onions etc for 5 to 10 minutes and left them to cool.
By now the 10 minute Prep time was approximately 60 minutes followed by baking the pastry case for 20 minutes, filling it with the vegetables, milk, eggs and cheese and baking the assembled concoction for another 35 minutes taking us close to 2 hours and not 35 minutes as suggested earlier!
The moral of this story is – If it looks too good to be true, it usually is!
Fortunately, Tina is an expert in whipping up meals out of thin air so we didn’t starve! 🙂
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✨ Top Gluten-Free Myths (Busted!) ✨
1️⃣ Gluten-free = healthier ❌
👉 Not always! It can still be processed/junky.
2️⃣ Gluten-free = grain-free ❌
👉 Rice, corn, quinoa, buckwheat = all gluten-free grains!
3️⃣ Only Coeliacs need gluten-free ❌
👉 Non-Coeliac gluten sensitivity & wheat allergy are real too.
4️⃣ A little gluten won’t hurt ❌
👉 Even crumbs can damage Coeliac guts.
5️⃣ Oats are always safe ❌
👉 Only certified GF oats are truly gluten-free.
6️⃣ Beer is gluten-free ❌
👉 Regular beer = gluten. Look for GF beer only.
7️⃣ Gluten-free bread tastes bad ❌
👉 Modern GF breads & bakes are delicious!
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Thank you for your continued support,
Tina, Derek, Mike, Rachel, Lucy & Benji,
The GFI Team
P.S. Do you have a query about any particular food?
Reply to this email with your query and we will try to find an answer!
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