Delighted with M&S this year - plenty of mince pies on the shelf nice and early - always the best ones in my opinion, the ordinary sage and onion stuffing is gf again after all the fuss last year (I know I wasn't the only one to write in and complain) there are packs of stuffing balls, cocktail sausages and bacon - and then to top it all I found gf flour on the shelf.  Hope that doesn't go the way of the gf bread that they sold for a while.  Fresh bread was always going to be a difficult one to sell - so many get it on prescription. 

i am so pleased you put this on, i am shopping for OH on tuesday and i will pop into M&S and get stocked up, i know it was cheaper for us to get his bread on prescription than buy it, i have asked him if he wants a xmas pudding this year and he just wants and alcholic trifle .
carolann

You will have to make the trifle though!  M+S don't do that gf yet that I know of :-)  I only get flour on prescription now and use a bread maker.  I do like some sliced bread in the freezer for emergencies and travel but have got fed up with bread several days old because the chemist has forgotten to tell me it is in.  I wish some of these products were easier to buy.  I love the biaglut spaghetti that I used to get on prescription - then the pharmacy said they couldn't get it.  They can - someone just rather me have the horrible stuff probably because it is cheaper.  I don't have the option of buying it elsewhere that I know of.  Same as some of the bread - only on prescription!  I fancy a change now and then and don't like making an appointment at the doctors to change my prescription.  I think the doctor has better things to do.

Ive also seen Gluten free stuff in Tesco's if that helps

>I love the biaglut spaghetti that I used to get on prescription

We have found Schar Spagetti to be the closest to 'normal' spagetti ;)  it cooks the same and tastes lovely :) no problems with prescription either ;)

Can't compare it with Bi Aglut tho, I haven't tasted that ;)

For pasta Twirls or Penne we get the Tesco Free From - they are lovely but won't wait around once cooked, actually better cooked for a minute less than on the packet ;) and you have to be really careful about tossing them in a sauce, they break easily.

Will have to get to an M&S somehow, but it's a long way to travel just for some stuffing and a Christmas Pud (50 miles round-trip )

> 50 miles round-trip

That's a long way for a Marks! You don't get down near Cardiff much then?   I don't get to M&S as much as I did before we moved here - they were talking about building one here - at least the food part but there is no sign of it happening now.   Haven't tried Schar but always use Tesco Free Fromm Penne - agree with you about that.  

When Son was diagnosed we got given a postcard thing to send off to different companies to introduce us to their products.  Schar took the longest to send back but when they did we got a proper 'refugee pack'   :-D   It was a huge box of everything they produce - including their pasta/spagetti.   Not all they produce is available in this country, but the spagetti is - and it's fab!  

Most of the food in that pack was absolutely wonderful - shame we can't get everything they make :(
Cardiff would be 60 mile round-trip   so no don't go there very often :(

Don't know of a M&S (with food) nearer than Newport :(

> Most of the food in that pack was absolutely wonderful - shame we can't get everything they make

Can you not get it by mail order, Dill?

That may be possible (I haven't found anywhere yet ;) ) but the expense really isn't worth it :(   Think of paying over 2 pounds for each packet of about 10 small biscuits or even more for a small packet of spagetti and then add on the postage and packing too :(    I used to be able to buy a limited selection of their products about 10 miles away, but it is no longer sold :(

It's a very expensive business being wheat and gluten-free :(   Even a normal weeks food shopping costs twice as much as I used to pay as wheat and gluten can be found in the most unlikely things  :(

> It's a very expensive business being wheat and gluten-free :-( 

I'm sure it is.  Do the supermarkets that do home delivery not carry anything of these products on their web sites?  Most of them seem to have some sort of a "free from" range.  Would not be so bad paying delivery if you are having all your groceries delivered as well.

Sainsbury's do a good free from range and with home delivery if you spend over £100(which is easy to do for a good shop) then delivery is free!!
From what i understand Waitrose is too, though don't know if they do a free from range.

The free-from ranges may be 'good' in that they are now pretty comprehensive, but much of the food is inedible and about 4x the price of 'normal' food :(  

>Sainsbury's do a good free from range and with home delivery if you spend over £100(which is easy to do for a >good shop) then delivery is free!!

I don't even know where the nearest Sainsbury's is   and I try not to spend 100pounds on food - just can't afford it ;) 

> plenty of mince pies on the shelf nice

I know where I'll be going on my lunch today, thank you so much, my dad will be thrilled! He loves Mince Pies!

I used to buy the free from ranges when i was trying to find out a cause for my problem. I agree it was expensive, though it does look they had reduced the costs of these products.

Dill where do you live, you in Wales somewhere? I never thought distance was a problem with these delivery drivers.
You call their online head office on 0800 328 1700 to see if they would deliver to your home address, same goes for Tesco as well..

> I don't even know where the nearest Sainsbury's is

You don't have to know when ordering on line ;-)  Even if you don't order 100 quids worth I don't think the charge is very much, certainly when you consider you have have no incurred any fuel costs in going shopping yourself.  You could maybe also look at Tescos on line as I think they cover areas in the country where many others just don't go.

Unfortunately M and S don't do a home delivery - and yes they are expensive but I like to give myself a treat.   I don't do a lot of these bought gluten free goods anyway - as Dill says they are expensive and often not up to much to eat anyway.  They seem to try to cover up the dryness by adding lots of sugar to cake and biscuits.   Last year M and S tried telling me that the gluten free stuffing (that was the normal stuffing that everyone had) didn't taste as nice as the one with gluten in.  However they have reverted to gluten free again thank goodness.  As for the sausages - several ranges are gluten free too - who wants 'rusk' in their sausages anyway!    I don't pass your way Dill these days otherwise I would drop you some in!  It makes me realise how lucky we are around here on the M4 corridor.  

>You don't have to know when ordering on line ;-)  Even if you don't order 100 quids worth I don't think the >charge is very much, certainly when you consider you have have no incurred any fuel costs in going shopping

Isabel,

If you had ever tasted these products you would know that they are often inedible, because of taste and texture :(  Unless you know the product and can be sure it hasn't been 'improved' in some way, then the expense of buying them online just isn't worth it ;)  It can be very frustrating buying something for a treat, paying about 4x the price of the normal version for half the quantity and then discovering that it's absolutely awful.  Personally I'd rather make my own or go without, I have to read the labels to make sure that the product is 'safe' for my son, as he also cannot have any milk or wheat starch. Some gluten free foods contain wheat starch and many contain milk.

Ceejay,

I refuse to buy the Gluten-free cakes and biscuits, we don't even get them on prescription, I make my own and the taste and texture are far more 'normal' ;)   It would be nice to be able to buy the odd GF treat from M&S tho, I've heard very good things about them.   If you can, try Waitrose GF sausages, they are really tasty, proper meaty sausages :)

Thanks Dill - don't go to Waitrose normally but if I am in the area will look out for them.  Have just sampled the Dove's farm organic fusili.  Can't say it was any better then the Tesco's free from.  It is brown rice.  Don't know how they compare in price though.  Was just rushing through to pick up a few things because I thought I was having visitors.  Then they didn't come. 

Tesco's Free From Fusilli is about £1.69 or a bit more now maybe as prices seem to change every week at the mo - but not too bad considering the usual prices for GF foods ;)   OH bought Orgran once as Tesco's wasn't there - over priced and it was awful, fell to pieces despite cooking for less than stated time :( :(  BIG waste of money IMO

Dilll/Ceejay - are you able to clarify the prescription issue for me please?  My sister in law needs a GF diet and, after spending only a week with her in the summer, I realise how expensive it can be!  Do you have to be diagnosed using a particular testing procedure or somesuch?  Do you think that different regions will have different processes and funding?

I'm not sure she is aware that prescriptions may be available so I thought I'd find out a little more from your personal experience and give her a call.

I was thinking of preparing her a hamper of basics as part of her christmas present.  She won't really want the pre prepared treats but the wherewithal to make them herself as money is a bit tight for them at the moment.  I thought that if I bought some ingredients they'd go further too.  Do you use or recommend Dove flours?  Is there anything else from the 'baking' section that you find particularly good or useful?

Many thanks

To be diagnosed as Coeliac and recieve a prescription one has first to have a blood test.  Then an endoscopy which is yuk yuk yuk.  One has to follow a non gf diet before this otherwise there would be no results.  The villi ( the ins and outs of the intestine which give a wider area for digestion) become flattened so that the goodness from the food is not absorbed and so one suffers from malnutrition basically.   http://www.coeliac.org.uk/ is the place for all the proper information.

The Dove's farm organic pasta was £1.79 for 500g.

Yer - what she said ;)

Re Prescriptions - It depends on where in the country you are and what your doctor/dietician thinks is necessary./  My old doctor would only prescribe 1 loaf of bread a month!!!

Re - Doves Farm flours - I tend to mix their GF bread flour with an equal amount of rice flour - this makes amazing cakes etc.    Remember, Baking Powder needs to be GF too ;)  

>The Dove's farm organic pasta was £1.79 for 500g.

So about the same price then ;)

I was going to say that the price of wheat has dramatically increased so this would be in line with non GF pasta - gosh how dumb am I

If only I hadn't just typed it here...

LOL 

Those prices are amongst the cheapest!  Most brands are more expensive.  Imagine paying £4  for a tiny loaf of bread, or the same for about 10 half-sized biscuits!  

IN our area, we can get a corn pasta, which is to die for!  Dont know if you can in the UK, but if you can, its worth every penny!  You can make nice pasta dishes, and even cold pasta salad!  It doesnt go hard when it cools down.  YUM!!!

Also, if you use Sourghum and Amaranth (sp?) flour, it gives a lighter texture in the bread.  Its not as gritty as the stuff you buy in the store.  Never would I go back to store bought bread as you cant even get it out of the loaf bag before it crumbles!!!  (there goes 7 dollars on the floor).  Also, if you use a bit of Gelitan as Xanthium Gum it just seems to produce more air bubbles so you get more "normal" look and texture. 

(wants to bake some bread today!)

I don't like the corn pasta we get here - Orgran isn't it?  It hasn't got the right feel to it.  Maybe you get better products?  Or maybe different tastes.  I know in the US they have something called grits with their breakfast which I think is foul.  (Not sure what it is but I tried it before I was on gf diet)  Sourghum and Amaranth flour - interesting.  I have a breakfast cereal made of Amaranth flour. 

Saw this GF fruit cake on This Morning and thought of you all.  I'm going to give the recipe, the ingedients, and a new cake tin etc to my GF sister in law for Christmas!

Thanks for posting that link.  That is a different idea for a gift!  Very practical.

In Response to ceejay

The corn pasta here, is under the name of Mrs Leepers, and it is Organic.  Dont know if thats the one you are talking about.

I like it, and I dont like much of the food mom has to eat (sorry mom!).