Gluten free food fairs are in short supply these days, so it is amazing to see these one growing so much. Pre-covid, there used to be loads of Coeliac UK's food fairs run by local groups but in the last few years there has been a decline with group volunteers in many places which means they just can't run them.
This year also saw all the Allergy Show's cancelled which used to be great for gluten free, despite the recent decline in gluten free products and more focus on vegan in them. However, the event organisers going into liquidation has meant they have all been cancelled (or, at the very least, postponed until further notice).
The Free From Festival ran from 11am-6pm at Document in Bristol which was super easy to get to from Cabot Circus and the entire time we were there is was buzzing with people taking in all the different stalls, enjoying food and drink from the bar and pop up restaurants and watching all the different speakers.
I enjoyed my entire time at the Free From Festival, though if I'm honest I missed most of the speakers...I was to busy wandering round all the stalls taking in all the brands I hadn't heard of - and some I had! There were so many stalls that took my attention, some didn't necessarily appeal to me but sounded interesting others I fell in love with, so here are the stalls that I think you should check out!
I love Creative Nature and if you follow me of Facebook I am sure you already know that. There gnawbles are the best alternative I have found to Malteasers (which are of course not gluten free) and I also love their packet mixes, the waffle mix is the best I have tried.
Definitely check them out also if you use code COELIACSANCTUARY10 you can get 10% off your order with them!
Licorice! Why is it so hard to get gluten free?! Despite being hard to get it is out there and this is certainly amazing! Klepper and Klepper do both sweet and salty licorice free from the top 14 allergens. Did you know salty licorice is the preference in the Netherlands where licorice is extremely popular?
While you can't buy off their website you can find local stockists or buy the salty one from from or the sweet from Licorice Heaven
Check out Klepper and Klepper's website.
I tend to make a lot of my own power or protein balls but I am not one to turn down ready made ones and these are great! So many different flavours and something like 65 calories a ball so great for a little nibble packed with flavour. I ended up buying a few different ones to bring home.
You can buy the bags in bundles of 10 from off their website, great for keeping on hand for snacks.
Who doesn't like a crumpet! Liberate are certainly some of the best ones I have tried, best kept in the fridge or freezer I always have some on hand and made sure to stock up while I was at the fair. These crumpets are both gluten and dairy free and so delicious, certainly the best ones on the market. I heard them saying they are releasing new products soon too including English Muffins!
Buy their crumpets off their website and you can also join their points reward club too
I didn't try this one as the queue was HUGE but this gluten and dairy free bakery had the most amazing looking brownies, quiches and cakes. They also had a variety of vegan choices too. Their unit is based in the New Forest, Hampshire so if you want bespoke cakes and live local to there they are one to check out. They do post out their blondies and brownies to anywhere around the UK according to their wesbite though.
Check out their website right here.
I have seen this pasta a lot in farm shops around the UK, but never before have a seen gluten free cannelloni shells! This producer has so many different varieties of pasta and also do pizza bases and sauces. In the farm shops this stuff isn't cheap but is better quality than a lot of the shop bought pasta.
If you don't have a farm shop nearby that stocks them, you can purchase from them directly on their website.
If you are dairy free as well as gluten free then Enjoy is definitely a brand to try, they do so many different flavours of chocolate and is probably one of the nicer dairy free chocolates that are around.
Check them out and buy on their website.
Field Doctor have recently passed their gluten free lab testing to ensure their gluten free meals are now Coeliac safe. They have loads of frozen ready meals which are great to have on hand for a quick meal. From curries, to pasta and cottage pie there is loads to choose from with many dairy free options too!
To see all their gluten free meals head over to their website.
If there is a food fair, you can guarantee Heck will be there! All their sausages are gluten free, whether meaty or meat free and they do so many varieties these days too. If you want a good gluten free sausage for your breakfast, definitely one worth trying.
These can be bought from most supermarkets or check out what they do on their website.
From tomato sauces to pesto, Zest have a variety of different sauces to try all of which are gluten free, dairy free and vegan. While I didn't try any as they weren't really my thing, they look like great products for a quick meals!
Check them out on their website.
I have wanted to be able to buy little sachets of nuts for ages but all the supermarket ones carry may contains so I was super happy to find Boundless at the Free From Festival, just simple sachets of nuts and seeds which made great healthy snacks. As well as those, they do activated chips (or crisps) which are made from sorghum and yellow peas and a beautiful crisp alternatives.
Take a nosy at their products on their website.
As a none drinker, this wasn't one I spent much time looking at however as a lower calorie alternative to gin I am sure it will interest some. At just 28 calories per 25ml shot it is around 1/3 of the calories of regular gin. They had some interesting looking flavours too. Though it was a little on the pricey size.
If you fancy taking a look, here is the website.
I adore cocao bars and these were beautiful, very few ingredients, naturally gluten, dairy and refined sugar free. The only issue is they are best kept in the fridge so I couldn't buy any while there with having a 3 hour drive home. If you like a nice chocolatey but slightly healthier snack though they are one to try.
Check out all the flavours of bars on their website - though I am unsure where you can actually buy them!
I had not heard of this one before but I admit she has an amazing packet mix for both rustic bread and focaccia! Absolutely beautiful and fairly priced. She also has a mix for pizza bases and rolls as well that I will definitely be checking out at some point! Her mix is free from gluten, dairy, eggs and soy and is suitable for vegans too
Check out her different mixes on her website.
While by far not the cheapest cake stand, she sure did have some beautiful cakes! While she isn't a completely gluten free bakery she does do gluten free, dairy free and vegan options (all options were free from these at the show). Unfortunately, she is only a local baker and can be found on Bury St Edmunds Market or bespoke orders can be made on her website.
If you are local and want to check her out, here is her website.
If you like hot sauce, then check these out, some of the hottest sauces made without additives and sugar and are vegan and gluten free. I didn't dare touch them, I am not a spice fan and some of these sound super hot - there is not a chance I am trying carolina reaper chillis!
If you like burning your taste buds off, check them out.
Surprisingly nice! I wasn't sure what to expect with this one but it kind of reminds me of Weetabix in an odd way. I nice tea though, slightly nutty, a good caffeine free alternative too regular tea and something a little different. Worth checking it out!
Buy or get a free sample on their website.
Gorgeous hazelnut spread, like Nutella but healthier and with chunky bits. Absolutely delightful which if why I stopped myself paying £7 a bottle as I would have sat and drunk it. However, if you have will power is it an amazing alternative to Nutella and is dairy free if you need that.
Overall I had a fab day at the Free From Festival, it is always great to find and try out some new brands and stock up on favourites too - these events tend to have special event pricing so you can often pick up things a bit cheaper. There is another event due in London on the 27th May - Free From Festival will be announcing details for this soon. Hopefully there will be another event in Bristol as well next year. If you can make them, give them a visit!
Check out Free From Festival's website for exhibitors from this year and previous years plus keep an eye for upcoming show information.