Gluten free food is here to stay

ONCE IT WAS ALMOST UNHEARD OF, NOW IT’S BECOME A MENU MAINSTAY. Gluten free is well and truly here to stay – and not just because more and more people are being diagnosed with coeliac disease, for which the only effective treatment is a lifelong gluten free diet.

“I think it’s at the stage now where it’s just accepted, and in fact you’d be hard pressed to find a place that doesn’t offer gluten free – including pubs and clubs,” says chef Gary Johnson. “And it’s not necessarily food intolerance or medical conditions like coeliac disease which is driving demand. Rather it’s a question of consumer preference – people are choosing to go gluten free, and that’s created a challenge for suppliers and manufacturers, in that we have to be servicing that preference. And this is where suppliers have lifted their game – years ago gluten free breads used to taste like cardboard, but today you can get some excellent spelt loaves and other gluten free choices that are delicious. When manufacturers offer gluten free alternatives which perform and taste just as good as the regular products, that’s when foodservice businesses make the switch – so we can have one product which fits all customers.”

Chef Alex Patterson of Toukley RSL on the NSW central coast says demand for gluten free is “massive” in the local area: “When we did our last menu, 70 per cent was gluten free and a further 15 per cent could be made gluten free. We utilise a lot of gluten free options – we even make up our own gluten free seasoning for use on our chips.”

With 95 per cent of Toukley RSL’s ingredients created inhouse – “everything except the mayo and gravy we basically make ourselves”, Alex says – it was decided that it was in the interest of customers to offer as much gluten free as possible. “We have always been mindful of people with coeliac disease and so we are very aware of cross-contamination issues,” he adds. “We have separate fryers for gluten free food and dedicated food preparation areas – we take those issues very seriously.”

“It’s imperative that the quality is there”

Major suppliers like Nestlé Professional and Unilever Food Solutions have been pioneers in gluten free, reformulating existing product ranges to make them gluten free – without compromising quality or taste. “Essentially when we look at launching a product, we’d prefer it to be gluten free,” confirms Unilever Food Solutions Corporate Chef Andrew Ballard. “Chefs don’t want to have to stock two different products, one with gluten and one without. In saying that, gluten free proudcts have in the past been perceived as inferior quality, so what we have to do is first make a great product, and then make it gluten free without sacrificing taste, texture or flavour profile. It’s imperative that the quality is there.” 

Nestlé Professional offers a wide range of gluten free products including gravies, mash, sauces, boosters, soups and desserts. Its recently launched CHEF range of liquid concentrates and signature pastes are not only gluten free but also vegan and vegetarian, in recognition of the importance of products that tick more than one dietary box.

“We know that gluten free is here to stay and is right across the spectrum of foodservice,” confirms Nestlé Professional Executive Chef Mark Clayton. “For many years now we’ve focused on offering a comprehensive range of gluten free products as consumer demand has continued to grow – it’s also considered in all our new product development.

“The challenge for chefs in busy commercial establishments is not only managing gluten free but also balancing this with many other dietary requests. Now more than ever, chefs don’t just need a great range of products but also support and education around catering for specific dietary requirements, and our goal is to support the industry by providing free, easy-to-follow resources that outline best practice management guidelines, and ultimately the safe delivery of food.”

Nestlé Professional has also partnered with Coeliac Australia to produce an updated edition of its Practical Guide to Gluten Free in Foodservice. The guide provides a comprehensive overview outlining all you need to know about sourcing, preparing and serving a gluten free menu.

“Preparing gluten free food safely is still a challenge for foodservice professionals,” points out Cathy di Bella, Partnerships and Sponsorship Manager at Coeliac Australia. “Not a day goes by without us getting enquiries from our members asking for more accreditation of restaurants so that they know they can safely order a gluten free meal – that is something people with coeliac disease really want.

“Our last survey showed it was the number one challenge our members face – gluten free is readily available in supermarkets, but people want to be able to eat out in the knowledge that their dietary requirements are going to be properly catered for.”

Currently there are 46 foodservice establishments nationally which have completed Coeliac Australia’s accreditation process, with another 20 set to come. Cathy says some of these have fared well during the COVID-19 crisis: “We’ve been keeping in close contact with our accredited sites and some have pivoted quickly to takeaway and home delivery to keep their business viable. Some have even made up meal boxes to take home, completely restructuring so as to stay open.”

Cathy points out that if you’re not catering to gluten free customers, you’re possibly missing out on a lot of business. “You might have a party of 10 customers looking to eat out and only one of them requires gluten free – but if you don’t offer it, that’s 10 orders you’re missing out on, not just one.

“The other thing to remember is that you only get one shot to get it right – customers won’t give you another go to see whether you’ve changed your menu down the track. They don’t want to make the same mistake twice so if you don’t offer gluten free, they won’t be back.”

Coeliac Australia also offers online training courses for the safe preparation of gluten free in commercial kitchens. “We’ve still been getting lots of enquiries even though it’s been a bad time for restaurants in general,” she reports. “I think right now foodservice businesses are realising that the more boxes they can tick to offer reassurance to customers post-COVID, the more that’s going to pay off in terms of patronage.”