United Kingdom
The U.K is light years ahead of a lot of other countries in terms of gluten free food available. In the main cities you don't have to look far for doughnuts, pastries, fish and chips, and even Yorkshire puddings. Of course in the smaller towns and villages it's a little more difficult but the chain supermarkets are pretty good with keeping up stock of gluten free treats. As I travel more around the U.K. I will add more city guides, at the moment check out my comprehensive list of restaurants and cafes and markets in London, for a full run down of the gluten free spots in the city.
Natasha's Law
The U.K has very strict food labeling and preparation laws around allergies, which is great news. However, it does pose a little difficulty when going to restaurants that are not 100% dedicated Gluten Free facility. Often you will find food on the menu that is labeled 'GF' but when talking to the waiter they will inform you that it isn't coeliac friendly. And thus, the unending argument begins as to whether you should be able to label something gluten free if there is a risk of gluten cross contamination. In my opinion - probably not.
However - packaging label now are extremely helpful in knowing what you can and can't eat. Last year in the U.K. there were two very sad cases of people passing away due to allergens that were present in their food that were undocumented, this meant that they government recently passed 'Natasha's Law' which will require all food businesses to include full ingredients labeling on pre-packaged food. Natasha Ednan-Laperouse was a teenager that passed away on a flight in 2018 after suffering an allergic reaction to a Pret sandwich, and thus inspiring the government to tighten food laws in the wake of her tragic passing.
Gluten Free Brands
The below brands are available in the chain supermarkets, like Tesco, Sainsburys, M&S, Co-Op, Asda, and Holland & Barrett, and Boots.
